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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22973218">Calculated Risks</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Evendale/pseuds/Evendale'>Evendale</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Personal Relationships [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>La casa de papel | Money Heist (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>AU, Angst, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Smut</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 15:02:27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>101,933</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22973218</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Evendale/pseuds/Evendale</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>This is it: the heist at the Mint is starting, and having Raquel in the control room with him will make it a very different experience for Sergio. How will Raquel's presence influence the events of the heist? How will it affect their relationship? And will the Inspector replacing Raquel prove to be a more dangerous opponent than they bargained for?</p><p>Direct sequel to the Personal Relationships AU.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Raquel Murillo/Professor | Sergio Marquina</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Personal Relationships [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1650901</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1005</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>1201</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Heist</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is a direct continuation of Personal Relationships. I decided to split the fic, because the heist chapters will have a very different vibe from PR. </p><p>Disclaimer: there may be errors in my rewriting of the heist, for which I apologize in advance. The heist is incredibly complex and I'm sure I'll make a mistake every now and then. There will also be a lot of changes to the events of the heist, some of them influenced by Raquel's presence, others for my convenience :') This is an AU, after all.</p><p>This first chapter is a set-up chapter. It may not be the most exciting thing ever, but it is necessary to get things going. Please lower your expectations accordingly XD As the heist progresses, there will be more and more changes and hopefully things will get more exciting :) These heist chapters are very different from anything I've ever done before, so I hope you'll forgive me for any dip in quality as I develop new skills.</p><p>Rewriting this heist is an extremely complex and challenging process, and I could never, ever do it by myself. I owe an infinite debt of gratitude to both ParijanTaiyou and thegirloverseas, who have spent LITERAL days and nights discussing this heist with me. They have been so generous with their ideas, time and feedback. I would have given up long ago if it hadn't been for their unwavering patience, enthusiasm and support. They are so much more than just beta readers, and this fic really feels like a collective undertaking. I can't express how grateful I am that I don't have to do this alone. Thank you ♥</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Day 1</strong>
</p><p>They had to get up in the early hours of the morning to clean the house of DNA, which could only be done right before they left. Sergio woke out of a fitful sleep even before his alarm went off, and immediately felt wide awake. This was it. This was the day he’d been waiting for, planning for, working towards for most of his life. He couldn’t quite believe that it was really here, that they would be executing the biggest heist in history in just a few hours. For a moment, he felt a wave of nausea wash over him, but then he took a few deep breaths and told himself that the odds were in his favor: his plan was solid, his team was solid, his preparations were more than solid. They could do this. They <em>would </em>do this. He turned his head to look at Raquel, still sleeping beside him. Never in his wildest dreams had he thought that he would be doing this with someone like her – a partner in every sense of the word. Just looking at her made him feel better.</p><p>When the alarm went off, she opened sleepy eyes and turned to look at him.</p><p>“Good morning, my love. How are you feeling?”</p><p>He considered this for a moment. “Calmer than I thought I would be. It doesn’t feel real yet. How are you feeling?”</p><p>“Ready”, she said simply, and he nodded in appreciation. She was probably more ready for this than he could ever be. He remembered how incredible she was under pressure – focused, quick-thinking, always in control of the situation – and he suddenly realized why he felt so calm: because she would be by his side. He knew that if he stumbled, she would steady him; if he messed up, she’d have his back; and if he failed, if all of this turned into a complete disaster, she would still be right next to him, and as long as that was true, as long as he could take her hand and see her smile, everything would be alright. The heist could never be a total loss, because it had brought her to him. He might not walk away from this with any money, but as long as he could walk away with <em>her</em>, even a failure would feel like a victory.</p><p>They got up and got dressed in silence. When they were both ready, they looked at each other, then moved in for a hug at the same time. He held her tight, drawing strength from the solid presence of her, from the familiarity of the shape of her body and the smell of her hair. Inside his head, there was the mantra that he kept repeating over and over again: he would keep her safe, he would keep her safe no matter what. He let their embrace go on for moment after long moment, unwilling to let her go, reluctant to step out of that door, knowing it would break once and for all the little bubble they had built around themselves here, warm and safe and full of love. They might never have another moment like this, so how could he end it, how could he open his arms and let her go? He simply wasn’t strong enough. Finally she looked up at him.</p><p>“Do you want to go?” she asked him softly.</p><p>He shook his head and buried his face in her hair, and she hugged him tighter in return. He took a deep breath – he had to get a hold of himself or he would never be able to let go of her. He couldn’t be Sergio right now – soft, open, in love – he couldn’t let himself be weakened by his emotions. With an effort, he summoned that other side of himself, and things sharply came into focus as he felt the focal point of his consciousness shift from his heart to his brain, making him feel powerful and completely in control of the situation. Sergio might never be fully ready for this, but the Professor was.</p><p>“Let’s do this”, he said, releasing her, and when she took a step back and looked up at him, he noticed with a rush of admiration the fire burning in her dark eyes.</p><p>“Yes”, she nodded. “Let’s fucking do this.”</p><p>She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him, one last, long, fierce kiss, then they broke apart and stepped out into the hallway.</p><p>Everyone helped to clean the house of all traces of DNA, then they carefully set up things like toothbrushes and half-eaten food to look like evidence. Sergio had already gone through the papers in the classroom, removing anything that contained vital information, but leaving up as much as he safely could. On top of that, he’d added a number of fake documents that he’d manufactured specifically for this purpose: strategies and escape plans that seemed plausible enough at first glance but that were entirely fictional. It was essential that the police be distracted, that they lose as much time here as possible so they wouldn’t focus on the team in the Mint.</p><p>When it was time to leave, the team gathered around the van they would be leaving in, all wearing red jumpsuits and carrying Dali masks. Sergio walked up to his brother and pulled him a short distance away from the others, feeling the mask of the Professor slip in the face of having to say goodbye.</p><p>“Are you ready?”</p><p>Berlin grinned. “More than I’ve ever been in my life. Don’t worry, Sergio, I’ve got this.”</p><p>He put a hand on Sergio’s shoulder. “And so do you. Don’t forget that you’re your father’s son.”</p><p>Sergio’s throat suddenly felt tight. He looked down at the ground and swallowed, then said quietly:</p><p>“I just want to make him proud.”</p><p>“And I’m sure you will”, Berlin assured him earnestly. “I don’t doubt that for a second.”</p><p>Sergio looked up gratefully. God knew his brother wasn’t perfect, and often Sergio was painfully aware of his flaws, but then suddenly Andrés would say something like this, showing unsuspected depth, and they would share a moment of genuine feeling and connection. His charismatic older brother. For such a long time, he’d been everything to Sergio – his protector, his mentor, his only friend. Now Raquel had taken a very central place in his affections, but he didn’t love his brother any the less for it. He looked at the familiar face, smiling at him, and wondered if he’d ever see it again. Was this goodbye? The moment didn’t feel significant enough – he felt like he should do something, say something, to make it… bigger, somehow.</p><p>Sergio hesitated, then started in a low voice: “Andrés…”</p><p>His brother raised a hand. “Let’s not have a sentimental goodbye. We’ll see each other again in eleven days.”</p><p>Sergio took a deep breath, willing himself to believe it. “Yes. Eleven days.”</p><p>“And we’ll be in almost constant communication.”</p><p>“True.” Sergio swallowed hard, trying to get rid of the lump in his throat. “Good luck.”</p><p>“You too.”</p><p>They couldn’t hug in front of the others, so Sergio held out his hand and his brother took it and squeezed it, hard.</p><p>“See you on the other side, Sergio.”</p><p>“Take care, Andrés.”</p><p>Berlin kept hold of his hand as he softly sang the very last line of <em>Bella Ciao:</em></p><p>“<em>E questo il fiore del partigiano, morto per la liberta</em>…”</p><p>Sergio felt a sudden fierce rush of pride as he raised his head and looked his brother in the eye.</p><p>“Yes”, he said. “<em>Per la liberta</em>.”</p><p>His brother gave him one last grin, then turned back to the team.</p><p>“Alright people, <em>vámonos</em>!”</p><p>…</p><p>Sergio and Raquel watched the van drive off, then they got onto Sergio’s bike and set off themselves for Madrid. They arrived in the control room at around nine, half an hour before the team would stop and take over the transport to the Mint. Sergio turned on all of the electronics, then they both put on a headset.</p><p>“Berlin?” he said. “Checking in.”</p><p>His brother’s voice came back immediately. “Hearing you loud and clear. You also there, Lisbon?”</p><p>“I’m here, Berlin”, Raquel said.</p><p>“How are the nerves, sweetheart?”</p><p>She snorted. “Don’t patronize me.”</p><p>Berlin laughed. “Steady as ever, I hear. Good.”</p><p>“How are things there?” Sergio intervened.</p><p>“Everything going according to plan. I’ll keep you briefed.”</p><p>There was nothing for it now but to wait, and the tension was terrible. Sergio was experiencing a mix of emotions somewhere between exhilaration and terror that made him feel more alert than he had ever felt in his life. They waited in silence, listening as the team took over the transport, only looking at each other every now and then. Five minutes before everyone was about to arrive at the Mint, he took her hands in his and held on tight as they leaned their foreheads together. Whatever happened, they were in this together. For a moment, Sergio was acutely aware of the fact that he almost hadn’t recruited her, that he’d almost been here alone, without her. The thought seemed absurd – of course they were meant to do this together. It could be no other way.</p><p>At 10.15, Berlin alerted Sergio that they’d arrived, and he felt his entire body tense. The next fifteen minutes would be crucial. Everyone entered the Mint without trouble, and he felt his heart rate accelerate, just barely keeping his hands from shaking. Any moment now…</p><p>“Go”, he whispered.</p><p>The team all drew their guns at once, and suddenly there was shouting coming through every ear piece. He stood up anxiously, hoping fervently that everyone would cooperate without trouble. He didn’t like this kind of violence, scaring people, threatening them, but sadly it was necessary. He started pacing – he hated that he had no control over this part of the operation. Then the team pointed their guns at the group of school children in the museum, and suddenly there were screams in his ear and he hated it, he hated it so much. What had they started, what the <em>hell </em>were they doing? He shot a look at Raquel and saw the shadow of his own dismay on her face.</p><p>“This is awful”, he whispered.</p><p>She nodded, then steeled herself. “There’s nothing for it, though, it has to be done. It will be over soon, they’ll calm down again.”</p><p>He kept his eyes on her – she looked so calm and collected whereas he felt like his nerves were fraying. She reached out a hand and he took it gratefully, feeling instantly better, as if some of her strength was transferred to him by her touch.</p><p>“This is the worst of it”, she said softly. “Once you’re in control of the situation, you’ll feel better.”</p><p>He nodded, recognizing the truth of her words.</p><p>Then Tokyo yelled through her headset that she didn’t see the Lamb, claiming all of their attention.</p><p>He turned to Raquel in alarm. “Where could she be?”</p><p>“Check the bathrooms!” Raquel told Tokyo through her headset.</p><p>For a moment, Sergio feared Tokyo might not take the order from Raquel… there was a short, tense pause, but then Tokyo said:</p><p>“On it.”</p><p>A few minutes later, Tokyo reported that she’d indeed found the girl in a bathroom, and they looked at each other in relief.</p><p>“How did you know she’d be in a bathroom?” Sergio asked.</p><p>Raquel shrugged. “She’s a teenage girl, it seemed like the logical place to look.”</p><p>Everything was under control now. He slowly sat down again, shaking slightly, and closed his eyes. Suddenly he felt her hand on his arm, and he opened his eyes again to see her smile at him.</p><p>“Well done”, she said. “Part one couldn’t have gone better.”</p><p>He shook his head. “The takeover was sloppy, it could have been done more quickly, and then the thing with Miss Parker, that was…”</p><p>“Sergio”, she cut him off firmly. “It couldn’t have gone better.”</p><p>He took a deep breath. “Yes. Yes, of course, you’re right.”</p><p>She nodded. “Now for part two.”</p><p>Everyone executed their assigned tasks, and after about half an hour, Sergio gave his next order:</p><p>“Berlin, prepare to open the doors.”</p><p>Raquel, meanwhile, was tuning in to the police frequency.</p><p>
  <em>“There’s a 10-33 at the Mint.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“We’ll be there in two minutes.” </em>
</p><p>Raquel pressed a timer and said to Berlin: “Two minutes.”</p><p>They waited, side by side, on the edge of their seats.</p><p>
  <em>“Z-24 to central, we’ll be there in 30 seconds.”</em>
</p><p>“30 seconds, Berlin”, Raquel reported.</p><p>Sergio was breathing fast. The next part was dangerous, but necessary: it was crucial that the police think they were trapped and desperate.</p><p>Sergio waited for his brother to give the order to go outside, but then he heard Rio shout:</p><p>“Tokyo! Tokyo!”</p><p>Suddenly, there were shots coming over the headset, and Sergio felt almost unbearably tense, frustrated to the extreme that he couldn’t see what was happening. The shots went on for several minutes, then everything went quiet. Over the police radio, they heard:</p><p>
  <em>“We need back-up at the Mint! Officer down!”</em>
</p><p>Sergio turned to Raquel with a look of horror. She was staring back at him with wide eyes, her hands clapped over her mouth.</p><p>…</p><p>They didn’t dare talk over the headsets anymore, since the police might already be listening in. Instead, they had to wait until the analog telephone was set up and their own telephone started ringing. Sergio picked up.</p><p>“What happened?”</p><p>His brother answered him. “Two police officers wounded.”</p><p>“Wounded?” Raquel asked. “Not dead?”</p><p>“I don’t think so.”</p><p>“Who shot them?” Sergio asked.</p><p>“Tokyo.” Berlin spoke away from the phone for a moment. “Connect the cameras for the Professor.” Then he spoke to Sergio again. “Rio got hit…”</p><p>“Is he alright?” Raquel said urgently.</p><p>“Yes, just a scratch. But when it happened, Tokyo started shooting back.”</p><p>Sergio looked at Raquel, who rolled her eyes. “<em>Of course </em>she did.”</p><p>“Let me talk to her”, Sergio said.</p><p>The cameras suddenly connected, finally giving them eyes inside. They saw Tokyo take the phone with a belligerent look on her face.</p><p>“Look, Tokyo”, Sergio started heatedly, “I know you’re sleeping with Rio, but you <em>cannot </em>let your personal feelings get in the way of the plan!”</p><p>“What?” Tokyo said. “I’m not sleeping with the kid.”</p><p>“Don’t play dumb, Tokyo”, Raquel snapped.</p><p>“Alright, fine”, Tokyo snapped back. “I shot to protect myself and my partner. You know, Mr. Professor, no matter how well you plan things out, they don’t always go the way you think they will.”</p><p>She slammed the phone down and Sergio was left with the dial tone. He put his phone down too, fuming.</p><p>“I should have known Tokyo would mess things up!”</p><p>Raquel put a calming hand on his arm. “Don’t panic, nothing’s lost yet.”</p><p>“If those police officers die, we’re screwed, Raquel!”</p><p>“I know”, she said, “but let’s worry about that if it actually happens.”</p><p>He took a deep breath, trying to calm down. “You’re right. We’ll just have to wait for the police to set up their center of operations and call us.”</p><p>It was a long wait, and neither of them said very much. Sergio kept practicing his “what are you wearing?” line with different inflections and tones. He needed to get it exactly right, as it would serve to unbalance the negotiator and help him establish the upper hand in the conversation. He just hoped they would indeed bring in Inspector Elena González from a different district, as Raquel predicted, because the line would be useless if they put Ángel in charge of the operation.</p><p>He suddenly noticed that Raquel had a slight smile on her face.</p><p>“What?” he asked her.</p><p>“Do you realize…”, she said. “If things had been different… About now would have been the first time we would have talked.”</p><p>That made him smile too, and for just one second his nerves were forgotten. “I’m sure I would have liked you instantly.”</p><p>“And I’m sure I would have hated you”, she laughed. “With your inappropriate questions.”</p><p>He gave her a sly look. “<em>Would </em>you have hated me though?”</p><p>She considered him for a moment with sparkling eyes. “Well… maybe not entirely.”</p><p>He grinned and sat down, feeling just a little better, just a little more relaxed.</p><p>When the police radio crackled out another message, he glanced at her. “It must be weird for you to be on the other side of this.”</p><p>She hesitated, then nodded. “I can’t pretend that it isn’t.”</p><p>He observed her carefully, and he was proud to see no sign of regret in her, no sign that she was anything but committed to the success of their operation.</p><p>Finally, the phone rang. Now that it came down to it, Sergio felt the Professor take over, calm and collected. He took up a red piece of paper to fold and picked up.</p><p>“Hello”, a female voice sounded on the other side of the line, and Sergio smiled.</p><p>“Good evening.”</p><p>“I am Elena González and I’m the Inspector in charge. Who am I speaking to?”</p><p>“The leader of the operation. How are your colleagues?”</p><p>“Hurt, but still alive at this point.”</p><p>Sergio breathed a silent sigh of relief, and so did Raquel next to him.</p><p>“I’m glad. I’m really glad.”</p><p>“Excuse me”, the Inspector said, “is that robot voice really necessary?”</p><p>“I’m sorry for this ugly metallic sound, but you understand that I have to protect my identity. In case we get a helicopter to go to Brazil.”</p><p>“Is that what you want? A helicopter?”</p><p>“What I want, first of all, is to negotiate with someone who doesn’t hesitate, someone who doesn’t need to check in with their superior officer or Intelligence or their mother to tell them yes or no.”</p><p>“Well”, she said drily. “Like I said: I’m in charge. I won’t pretend to have absolute power, but I can assure you that I won’t ask my mother for anything.”</p><p>Sergio grinned, and the Inspector continued:</p><p>“Any other questions?”</p><p>“Yes…” Sergio said, tensing. “What are you wearing?”</p><p>He’d expected the question to throw her off, but she didn’t miss a beat.</p><p>“A blue blazer, what are <em>you </em>wearing?”</p><p>He blinked. “You… you want to know what <em>I’m </em>wearing?”</p><p>“I told you what I’m wearing, it seems only fair that you return the favor.”</p><p>He looked at Raquel – this wasn’t in their script. She was shaking her head vehemently, but he decided to play along, establish trust and goodwill, make her think that he was willing to cooperate.</p><p>“Jeans and a blue sweater”, he lied, and Raquel groaned.</p><p>He frowned at her to stay quiet as the Inspector responded.</p><p>“Conducting your robbery very casually then.”</p><p>He couldn’t help but smile. “Why the interest in my apparel, Inspector?”</p><p>“Well, don’t you think our clothes say a lot about us?”</p><p>He raised his eyebrows. That was going to be <em>his </em>next line. He cleared his throat.</p><p>“And how do you like your men, Miss González? Well-dressed or a little scruffy? The gentleman or the rogue?”</p><p>“The gentleman”, she said immediately. “No question. Are you a gentleman, sir?”</p><p>“I believe I am.”</p><p>“A real gentleman would introduce himself.”</p><p>He laughed softly. “You can call me the Professor. Everybody does.”</p><p>“Are you a teacher?”</p><p>“Too many questions, Miss González.”</p><p>“Let’s get to business then, Professor. What do you want?”</p><p>Sergio paused for a moment, then said: “Time. To get things straight. Listen, Inspector, we almost got away. We’re perfectly prepared to defend ourselves, so try not to intervene. Can I trust you?”</p><p>“Of course. But to know that <em>I </em>can trust <em>you</em>, you have to give me something. There is a group of school children among your hostages, all of them minors. They shouldn’t be mixed up in something like this.”</p><p>“You want me to let them go?”</p><p>“Yes. They’re children, and you have plenty of other hostages. Please release them.”</p><p>He nodded. “I’ll consider your request.”</p><p>“It’s what a gentleman would do”, she said, and he put the phone down with a smile.</p><p>Immediately, Raquel turned to him with an exasperated expression.</p><p>“Come on, Sergio, I was <em>clearly</em> indicating that you shouldn’t tell her what you’re wearing!”</p><p>“What does it matter? I didn’t tell her the truth.”</p><p>“It matters because now she knows you’re not in the Mint with the others!”</p><p>He frowned. “How?”</p><p>“Because they saw the team come out, all wearing red jumpsuits!”</p><p>“You’re right”, he said, stricken. “I… I answered without really thinking. I didn’t expect her to ask the question back.”</p><p>She laughed. “You asked that question to throw her off balance and she bounced it right back at you. Admit it, she beat you at your own game.”</p><p>He grinned, his dismay turning into delight. “Oh, I like that. She’ll be very interesting to deal with.”</p><p>“You shouldn’t sound so pleased about that! She outsmarted you right in your first conversation.”</p><p>He felt a fire kindle inside him. Oh, a <em>real </em>challenge, a worthy opponent – the prospect was extremely appealing.</p><p>“I’ll have to do better next time then. I underestimated her. That won’t happen again.”</p><p>He thought about it for a moment, then said:</p><p>“You know, this isn’t so bad. Let her think I slipped up…”</p><p>“You <em>did </em>slip up.”</p><p>“… that way she’ll underestimate me, and it will make it more believable when I ‘accidentally’ let things slip later.”</p><p>She raised her eyebrows at him. “You better be careful, Sergio. She seems like a match for you.”</p><p>He could barely contain his enthusiasm. “I agree. Oh, this is going to be <em>interesting.”</em></p><p>She shook her head at him, but he was too excited to care.</p><p>…</p><p>They knew the police would plan to enter the Mint in the middle of the night to try and save Allison, so they both stayed awake and watching the cameras, nervously waiting for the police to make their move. Once they detected movement, Sergio called Berlin and the team set the next part of the plan in motion. The police intervention team went straight to the loading bay, exactly like Sergio had predicted. At that point, Rio had Allison call the national radio and tell them the hostages were dressed the same as the robbers. The team at the loading bay, meanwhile, had drilled a hole through the door and seen the Browning machine gun. For a few tense moments, nothing happened, and Sergio and Raquel kept their eyes glued to the screens. Then, all police teams pulled back at once and Sergio took off his glasses and rubbed a shaking hand over his eyes.</p><p>“We should be fine for a while now”, he muttered. “They’ll need to rethink their strategies, see how they want to play this.”</p><p> “It worked”, Raquel whispered next to him. “It worked out exactly the way you said it would. You’re a genius, Sergio, a goddamn genius.”</p><p>He laughed shakily and pulled her in for a kiss, then another and another and another, and she responded by getting up out of her chair to sit astride his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him back enthusiastically. They couldn’t stop laughing, both light-headed with relief, and he gave her kiss after kiss, suddenly hungry for her, for her mouth, her hands, her skin. She seemed to feel the same way, because her hands were in his hair and she pressed herself close to him as he ran his hands down her back. When she started unbuttoning his shirt, however, he pulled himself together with a supreme effort.</p><p>“No”, he said, pushing her hands away, “Raquel, we said we wouldn’t.”</p><p>“Did we?” she said innocently.</p><p>“Yes, we agreed weeks ago: no sex during the heist.”</p><p>“I don’t think I remember that”, she murmured, leaning in for another kiss.</p><p>He grinned. “Yes, you do!”</p><p>She quickly undid another button on his shirt and he pushed her hands away again, laughing.</p><p>“Control yourself, woman!”</p><p>“Don’t you think we deserve to blow off some steam?”</p><p>“What if something happens when we’re not paying attention? We can’t afford to be distracted.”</p><p>She sighed and sat up. “I suppose you’re right.”</p><p>He gave her a warm look and pulled her in for one more kiss. “It’s only for eleven days.”</p><p>“This is going to be a <em>long </em>heist”, she said drily.</p><p>When she got off him, however, he instantly regretted it. He didn’t want to stop kissing her, he didn’t want her warmth and her scent and her mouth to go away. He reached out a hand to pull her back, but at that moment she glanced at the screens and said:</p><p>“Look! They’re starting the presses!”</p><p>That got his attention. They watched eagerly as the hostages filed in and started work, Nairobi marching amongst them like a general. He got up and put a record on the record player, and the triumphant strains of Beethoven’s Ninth rang out through the hangar as they watched the money start rolling… rolling… rolling… They couldn’t stop grinning at each other. This was what they had come for – now it was really beginning.</p><p>…</p><p>It was almost six in the morning when he turned to her.</p><p>“What will she do now?”</p><p>“Who?”</p><p>“The Inspector.”</p><p>“If I were her, I’d quit after Intelligence overruled me like that. I’d want nothing to do with it.”</p><p>“Do you think that’s what Miss González will do?”</p><p>She considered this for a moment. “No, I don’t think so. From what I know of her, she’s not the person to just give up on a case.”</p><p>“Very committed, is she?”</p><p>“Practically married to the job.”</p><p>“Single?”</p><p>“As far as I know, yes.”</p><p>“Will she go home and rest now?”</p><p>“Not at this point, no. They’ll have to consider their next move.”</p><p>“What would you do now if you were her?”</p><p>“Honestly? I’d go out for a coffee to clear my head.”</p><p>He gave her a sharp look. “You think she’ll go out for coffee?”</p><p>“It’s a distinct possibility, yes. I’d want to get out of that tent.”</p><p>“Where to?”</p><p>“In this neighborhood? Probably Hanoi.”</p><p>He got up. “I have to meet her.”</p><p>“<em>What?</em>”</p><p>“I’m going to Hanoi and wait for her there.”</p><p>She stared at him. “Are you actually <em>insane</em>, Sergio? You want to <em>meet </em>the person <em>leading the case against you</em>?”</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>“<em>Why?</em>”</p><p>“I want to get a sense of her, what kind of person she is, who I’m dealing with.”</p><p>“And you need to meet her for that?”</p><p>“I want to look her in the eye. That’s the quickest way to get the measure of someone.”</p><p>“Sergio, that’s such a crazy risk to take!”</p><p>“It’s not, really. She has no way of knowing who I am.”</p><p>She got up too and put her hand on his arm when he reached for his jacket.</p><p>“Don’t make such a big decision on an impulse!”</p><p>“It’s not an impulse”, he admitted reluctantly. “It was always my plan to try to meet the person in charge of the case face to face.”</p><p>“What?” she frowned. “I know every letter of that plan and you never said a word about this.”</p><p>He didn’t meet her eye. “Because I knew you wouldn’t agree.”</p><p>“Well, you’re damn right about that!”</p><p>“I’ve got this under control, Raquel, don’t worry. It’s a calculated risk.”</p><p>He shook off her hand and put on his jacket. Her eyes were wide.</p><p>“Sergio, don’t do this!”</p><p>“I’ll be fine”, he soothed her. “And I’ll be back as soon as I can. Remember, you are not to talk to the police under any circumstances.”</p><p>“Yes”, she said. “I know, but…”</p><p>“If they call while I’m out, you don’t answer the phone.”</p><p>“I won’t. But…”</p><p>He started moving towards the door. “Keep an eye on the cameras at all times.”</p><p>“I will, but are you seriously doing this?!”</p><p>He turned around, giving her an appealing look. “I have to meet her, Raquel, I <em>have </em>to. Don’t you understand?”</p><p>“No”, she said heatedly, “I don’t understand at all!”</p><p>“We’ll be negotiating with this woman for days, and these negotiations will determine how long we’ll be able to stay in the Mint. I <em>need </em>to know who I’m dealing with. She’s clearly a capable person, so every edge I can get over her will help.”</p><p>“How will meeting her give you an edge over her?”</p><p>“I don’t know yet”, he said, “but it might.”</p><p>“This is such a stupid idea!”</p><p>“You’re vastly overestimating the risk I’m running, Raquel. Please calm down. I’ll be back soon. If something goes wrong, call me.”</p><p>And with those words, he opened the door and stepped out into the early morning light, leaving Raquel behind, angry and worried.</p><p>…</p><p>He sat at the end of the counter in the café, perfectly prepared to wait for a while, but it was only half an hour before she came in. He recognized her from the photos he’d seen of her: mid-thirties, medium height and build, her dark hair pulled back in a tight ponytail. He noted with interest that she was <em>not</em>, in fact, wearing a blue blazer like she’d told him, but a grey shirt. He kept observing her out of the corner of his eye as she walked to the counter with a quiet kind of confidence and ordered a coffee. He got up as she got her cup, and just as she turned around to take it to a table, he bumped into her, causing her to drop the cup and saucer, which shattered on the ground.</p><p>“Oh god!” he said, “I’m so sorry!”</p><p>She shot him a piercing look. “Watch where you’re walking, will you?”</p><p>“Really, I’m so sorry! I’ll pay for the cup”, he assured the owner, who came around the counter with a mop and a disgruntled look.</p><p>Then he turned back to the Inspector. “Please let me buy you a new cup.”</p><p>“There’s no need for that.”</p><p>“Please, I insist. Regular coffee?”</p><p>She hesitated, then said: “Yes. Black.”</p><p>He gestured towards a table. “Please, sit down, I’ll bring it to you.”</p><p>He waited for the owner to pour a fresh cup, then set it down in front of the Inspector.</p><p>“Can I… can I join you for a moment?”</p><p>She considered him. “Alright, why not.”</p><p>He sat down across from her. “I’m usually not that clumsy, I hope you’ll be able to forgive me.”</p><p>She gave him a long, intense look, and he was struck by the intelligence in her dark eyes.</p><p>“You bumped into me on purpose, didn’t you?”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“There was plenty of room to walk past me. You did that on purpose.”</p><p><em>Damn</em>, she was sharp. He swallowed. “Why would I do that?”</p><p>“You tell me.”</p><p>He looked down, and gave an embarrassed laugh. “Alright, you got me. I… I just wanted an excuse to talk to you.”</p><p>“Picking up women at six in the morning?” she said, one corner of her mouth quirking up in a half-smile.</p><p>He shrugged and shot her a shy smile in return. “You just seem like an interesting person.”</p><p>“And you thought making me spill my coffee was a good way to get to know me?”</p><p>“You’re right”, he said contritely. “That was a very clumsy thing to do. Can we start over?”</p><p>He held out his hand. “Salvador Martín.”</p><p>She kept those intense eyes on him for a long moment, and he thought she might refuse his hand, but then she reached out and shook it.</p><p>“Elena González.”</p><p>He gave her a genuine smile. “A pleasure to meet you, Miss González.”</p><p>…</p><p>Raquel kept pacing up and down in front of the desk, keeping only one eye on the screens. Everything was quiet in the Mint, the presses running smoothly, most of the hostages sleeping, but she herself felt wide awake with worry. She couldn’t <em>believe </em>Sergio had gone out and put himself right under the nose of the police. Or actually, no, she reminded herself, that wasn’t Sergio, it was the fucking Professor, damn arrogant bastard that he was. Thinking he was untouchable, thinking he was so much smarter than everybody else. She’d always liked the Professor in the classroom and especially in the bedroom, but she was beginning to realize that they might not always see eye to eye now that things were getting serious.</p><p>After about an hour, the door to the hangar opened again and he walked back in. She felt faint with relief as she rushed to him and hugged him.</p><p>“Thank god you’re back.”</p><p>He chuckled as he patted her on the back. “I was never in any danger, Raquel, she had no idea who I was.”</p><p>“So how was it?”</p><p>His eyes were shining with enthusiasm. “We’re in for an interesting few days. She’s a chess player too.”</p><p>“You talked about <em>chess</em>?”</p><p>“We didn’t have to, I could just tell.”</p><p>She gave him a skeptical look. “You can <em>tell </em>if someone’s a chess player?”</p><p>“She has such a sharp mind, incisive, strategic. A quick thinker, too. Amazingly quick.”</p><p>She raised her eyebrows. “You do remember you’re <em>fighting </em>this woman, not dating her, right?”</p><p>He waved a hand. “Yes, of course, I know.”</p><p>“<em>Do you </em>though?”</p><p>He laughed. “Yes! I’m just pleased to have a skilled opponent.”</p><p>“This isn’t a game of chess, though, Sergio! This is our <em>lives </em>you’re playing with.”</p><p>His expression sobered. “I know. I know, my love, don’t worry. I do take this seriously.”</p><p>He took her in his arms and kissed her, and she felt some of her worry melt away. Of course he knew what he was doing. She was probably overreacting because she was stressed and tired. She hugged him tight for a moment, and he hugged her back. Then he said:</p><p>“You can sleep first. I’m not tired yet.”</p><p>“Alright”, she said, feeling the exhaustion of the day catch up with her now that the adrenaline was wearing off. “Wake me in six hours, or if you get too tired.”</p><p>“I will.”</p><p>She turned away from him and opened her bag to take out her toothbrush and pajamas.</p><p>“So she really had no suspicion of who you are?”</p><p>He sat down behind the screens. “No, why would she? And next time she’ll trust me even more.”</p><p>She froze. “<em>Next time</em>?”</p><p>“Yes?”</p><p>“You’re going to meet with her <em>again</em>?”</p><p>“Well, we have no fixed plans or anything, but I’ll go wait for her at Hanoi again. I’ve established contact now, I want to build on that.”</p><p>“To what possible end?!”</p><p>“If she trusts me, she might tell me things about the investigation. And the better I get to know her, the bigger the advantage I’ll have over her in the negotiations.”</p><p>“That’s such a big risk to take for only a very vague possible payoff!”</p><p>“We don’t know that, the payoff may be more significant than you think.”</p><p>“I don’t think you really believe that! You’re trying to rationalize an irrational feeling, making up seemingly reasoned arguments because you won’t admit to the real reason.”</p><p>He raised his eyebrows. “And what’s the ‘real reason’ according to you?”</p><p>She narrowed her eyes at him. “I think you just like the thrill of it. I think she intrigues you. She outsmarted you before and now you want to see if you can outsmart <em>her</em>.” She shook her head. “She’s a challenge and you simply can’t resist that.”</p><p>He shifted guiltily, and she knew she was right. His expression remained stubborn, however.</p><p>“Well, so what? It can’t do any harm if I talk to her again.”</p><p>She felt a stab of unease. Why was he fighting her on this, when she clearly made sense? Did he want to see her again so badly?</p><p>“But the <em>risk</em>, Sergio!”</p><p>He sighed. “We went over this before, Raquel, there’s no real risk involved, how could she <em>possibly </em>know who I am?”</p><p>“You said yourself that she’s so clever.”</p><p>“But she’d have to be <em>psychic</em> to figure out my identity.”</p><p>She decided to let it go, since he clearly wasn’t going to change his mind. She took a deep breath and told herself that this was part of who he was and she wasn’t going to change him – nor did she want to.</p><p>“Alright”, she said tiredly. “You’re the mastermind, I’m sure you’ve calculated every risk. I’m going to bed.”</p><p>She changed into her pajamas and brushed her teeth, then went over to where he was sitting in front of the cameras to kiss him goodnight. When she got close, however, he held out a hand with a soft look in his eyes.</p><p>“Come here.”</p><p>She dropped gratefully into his lap and he pulled her close and kissed the top of her head as she leaned against him.</p><p>“I know you’re worried”, he said. “I understand, and of course you’re right that it’s not without risk. But I promise I’ll be careful. If I get the sense that she suspects me even in the least, I’ll stay away from her.”</p><p>She nodded silently, just enjoying his nearness.</p><p>“You were amazing today”, he murmured in her ear, and she couldn’t help but smile. “So calm, so steady. There’s nobody I’d rather have by my side in this than you.”</p><p>She cuddled closer to him and they talked softly about the events of the day for a while, going over the big moments, both good and bad. They concluded that, on the whole, this first day had been a success.</p><p>“Can you believe it?” he said quietly, nodding at the screens where the presses in the Mint could be seen working at full force. “We’re doing it, Raquel, we’re really doing it.”</p><p>She smiled. “Yes, we are.”</p><p>He sighed happily. “It all worked out exactly the way I planned it.”</p><p>“Yes, yes”, she chuckled, “you’re a genius.” She reached up a hand and stroked his beard appreciatively. “And a very handsome genius at that. You’re the whole package, aren’t you?”</p><p>“Funny”, he said, looking down at her with a warm smile. “I was just going to say that about you.”</p><p>She smiled and lifted up her face so he could press a long, soft kiss to her lips, and she felt with a rush of relief that they were in tune again. His arms around her were warm and comforting, and for the first time all day, she felt safe. She felt herself relax as she leaned her head against his shoulder and let her eyes close for just one moment, exhaustion washing over her. Before she knew it, she was asleep.</p><p>She didn’t even notice it when he carefully lifted her and carried her over to the bed. He covered her with the blanket, then kneeled next to her and gently brushed a lock of hair away from her cheek. For a long moment, he just kept looking at her, then he reluctantly got up and went back to his screens. In the Mint, a new day was beginning.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>DISCLAIMER: okay, so since a few people seem worried about this, I just want to say very clearly that this will NOT turn into a love triangle! I shudder at the very thought :')</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Mónica: part 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Initially, I planned to do all of Day 2 in one chapter, but it got waaaaay too long, so I decided to split it. This is only part one, I'll post part two next week. I'm sorry this part of the chapter doesn't contain that many Serquel moments -- I know we all need some serious Serquel fluff after that trailer! -- but it just didn't fit. Next week's chapter will have more Serquel though, I promise :) This is only the first part of the chapter, so it's mainly set-up, nothing particulary special (I'm really sorry!!). I hope the second part makes up for that!</p><p>As always, I need to thank thegirloverseas. She's really going above and beyond helping me rewrite this heist, and there isn't a single aspect of this chapter that she hasn't helped me with: plot, pacing, dialogue, characterization, language, everything. She's spent hours upon hours discussing my stories with me, putting her own writing on hold to help me. I can't express how grateful I am for her advice, insights and support. I don't know what I'd do without her ♥</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>
  <strong>Day 2 – noon – 52 million euros</strong>
</p><p>Raquel opened her eyes, still heavy with tiredness. For a moment, she was confused as to where she was, and she instinctively stretched out a hand to reach for Sergio, but he wasn’t there. Then the events of the previous day rushed back to her and she was instantly wide awake.  The first day of the operation had gone well, bringing them one step closer to success… and bringing them one step closer to the end of the heist, when their life together could really begin. She closed her eyes for a moment as she imagined them on a beach somewhere, when all of this would be over, when she would finally be able to start rebuilding a normal life, when she would finally, <em>finally</em> be able to hold her daughter again. She took a deep breath – <em>one day at a time</em> – then she sat up to see Sergio sitting in front of the screens, exactly where he’d been when she’d fallen asleep. He turned when he heard her stir.</p><p>“Good morning”, he smiled. “How did you sleep?”</p><p>“Alright”, she said, rubbing her face. “How long was I asleep?”</p><p>“Almost six hours”, he said. “I was just about to wake you.”</p><p>He walked over to her and sat down on the edge of the bed to give her a soft kiss.</p><p>“Hi.”</p><p>“Hi”, she smiled. “Everything under control?”</p><p>He nodded. “More or less.”</p><p>“Good, then it’s your turn to sleep now.”</p><p>“In a little while, I’m not tired yet.”</p><p>She frowned. “That’s not possible, Sergio, you’ve been up for more than 30 hours now, and very stressful hours at that.”</p><p>He waved a hand. “I’ll sleep later.”</p><p>“Alright, then catch me up on what happened. Did a hostage read the declaration to the police?”</p><p>“Yes, and it went fine.”</p><p>“Have you been out at all?”</p><p>“Yes, a few minutes ago, I got you hot chocolate and churros.”</p><p>She smiled in delight. “That’s my favorite breakfast.”</p><p>He smiled back. “I know.”</p><p>“You’re spoiling me.”</p><p>“Nonsense.”</p><p>She kissed his cheek.</p><p>“So what’s the money situation?”</p><p>“We’re at 52 million euros right now.”</p><p>Her smile broadened. “You’re going to be a very rich man soon.”</p><p>He shrugged, smiling, a warm look in his eyes. “I’ve got you. What’s a few hundred million euros compared to that?”</p><p>She shot him an amused look. “Why the flattery? Do you want something from me?”</p><p>He leaned in to nuzzle her ear. “I do. I always do. But we said we wouldn’t.”</p><p>He didn’t get up, however, but began kissing her neck.</p><p>She groaned softly. “If we said we wouldn’t, then what are you doing?”</p><p>“I couldn’t sleep next to you tonight”, he said with his lips against her skin. “I need to kiss you for a bit.”</p><p>She laughed as he pushed her back into the pillows.</p><p>“I need to kiss you here…” he said, pressing a kiss to her neck, “… and here…” a kiss to her chest, “and <em>most definitely </em>here…”</p><p>He nipped at her nipple through her top and she gasped and tried to push him away, laughing.</p><p>“Stop it! Go back to your screens!”</p><p>“Alright”, he sighed. “Just one more…”</p><p>He pressed a long, soft kiss to her lips, then he sat up. He didn’t move from the bed, however, looking down at her with an expression of longing.</p><p>“Go”, she smiled, seeing him struggle with himself.</p><p>“Just <em>one </em>more”, he said, bending down to kiss her again.</p><p>This time, the kiss lasted longer, and her hands came up automatically to tangle into his hair. She felt her body respond to him, and even though she knew she shouldn’t, she started imagining how nice it would feel to have him on top of her, just for a few minutes… They broke apart and looked at each other, slightly breathless, and she knew he was thinking the exact same thing…</p><p>The next moment he was kissing her hard and she wrapped her arms around him, returning his kiss with enthusiasm. His hands were under her top, and she moaned against his lips as he pinched a nipple, the sensation of it going straight through her to start a fire between her legs. She pulled at his tie, then started on the buttons of his shirt… oh, she wanted him, she wanted him so badly…</p><p>Suddenly the phone rang, and they both jumped, instantly pulled back to reality. Raquel cursed inwardly as Sergio quickly got up.</p><p>“That must be the Inspector.”</p><p>She pushed down her feeling of frustration as she watched him walk away from her, towards the ringing phone. He didn’t pick up immediately, however, letting it ring while he calmly buttoned up his shirt again, redid his tie and put on his jacket, and she clearly felt the presence of the Professor manifest itself. He sat down at the desk, then picked up a square of red paper. Raquel quickly scrambled out of bed to put on her own headset so she could listen in, reminded again of how easily she could have been at the other end of that line, and how it would have been Angel adjusting his headset next to her instead of Sergio.</p><p>Sergio finally picked up the phone.</p><p>“Don’t you think we have a rather special connection?” he started. “I was just going to call <em>you</em>.”</p><p>Raquel threw him an annoyed look. Did he really have to flirt with this woman right after she’d interrupted them?</p><p>“Well”, Inspector González said drily, “who else would you call in the middle of a hostage situation? Your grandmother? Your therapist? Actually, that might not be such a bad idea.”</p><p>He grinned. “You think I need a therapist?”</p><p>“I think you have to be fairly delusional if you think you can pull off a heist like this, yes.”</p><p>“Well”, he said, steering the conversation back to the script he’d prepared. “Let’s not allow that minor criminal fact to interfere with our relationship. I see this as an opportunity.”</p><p>“An opportunity for what?”</p><p>“To get to know each other. I’m sure if we’d met in a bar, you wouldn’t have paid me any attention. Tell me, Inspector…”</p><p>He hesitated for a moment, smiling to himself, and Raquel knew what was coming. She’d tried so hard to get him to change the script here, but he’d stubbornly refused.</p><p>
  <em>“Why do you have to ask her that? What possible purpose could it serve?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Let’s play out this conversation, you and me. Answer like you really would in that situation.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Alright, ask me.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Inspector, tell me… have you ever faked an orgasm?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She hesitated for a moment, then said: “No.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He raised his eyebrows at her. “Is that true?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“No”, she admitted. “But what else am I going to say under the circumstances, surrounded by my colleagues?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He smiled. “Exactly. And at that point, I can point out that you’re lying to me, and get you to promise that you won’t do it again. That gives me the moral high ground and the upper hand in the negotiation.”</em>
</p><p><em>“What if she admits that she </em>has <em>faked an orgasm?”</em></p><p>
  <em>“Unlikely, but if that happens, the same purpose is served: I can point out that she’s a liar for doing so.”</em>
</p><p>Raquel still hated the stupid question – it made her cringe for her ex-colleague – but she had to admit that she was curious to see how Elena would handle it, after the astute way she’d turned his ‘what are you wearing’ question against him yesterday.</p><p>“… have you ever faked an orgasm?” Sergio asked.</p><p>The Inspector didn’t hesitate. “If I were you, I’d also talk to my therapist about that tendency you have to ask women inappropriate questions.”</p><p>He smiled. “Answer the question, Inspector. Have you ever faked an orgasm?”</p><p>“No”, Elena answered, like Sergio had predicted she would. He threw Raquel a satisfied look and she rolled her eyes.</p><p>“Please, Inspector, don’t lie to me. Take a moment to consider.”</p><p>She snorted. “I’m not lying. I don’t understand why women fake orgasms. If the men I sleep with are doing a bad job, I want them to know it.”</p><p>Raquel raised her eyebrows at Sergio. <em>Now what?</em> He looked annoyed as he pushed a button so the police wouldn’t hear them.</p><p>“She’s lying.”</p><p>“Prove it”, she said, amused.</p><p>He released the button and said sternly: “How can I trust you if you lie to me, Inspector? I don’t believe you.”</p><p>“What do I get out of faking an orgasm? A smug man who thinks he’s all that and who won’t try harder next time.”</p><p>Sergio pushed the button again and threw Raquel a questioning look. She couldn’t suppress a smile as she felt his Professor persona slip a little.</p><p>“I think she’s telling the truth.”</p><p>“Yes”, he said. “I think she is.”</p><p>“Good for her.”</p><p>He swore softly. “There goes my strategy.”</p><p>“Good”, she said drily. “It was a stupid strategy to begin with.”</p><p>Before he could think of something else to say, the Inspector cut in:</p><p>“Alright, I think I’ve indulged you long enough. Let’s get to business. Why did you want to call me?”</p><p>Raquel saw him regain his composure as they got back to the script.</p><p>“Well”, he said. “We need food and medicine. Insulin, Sertraline, albuterol, an abortion pill and sedatives.”</p><p>“An abortion pill?” the Inspector asked, and Raquel’s eyebrows shot up too.</p><p>He shrugged. “One of the hostages requested it. We all have personal problems, right?”</p><p>“Alright, we’ll grant your requests.”</p><p>“Good. The <em>Protección Civil </em>should make the deliveries, in clear bags to avoid hidden weapons. And now tell me… why did you want to call me?”</p><p>“First of all, I’d like to congratulate you. You handled the situation last night admirably. Putting all the hostages in the same clothes as the robbers… very clever.”</p><p>Sergio smiled. “You’re congratulating me on outsmarting you?”</p><p>“I like to give credit where credit is due. I can admire your organizational skills even if I don’t agree with your goals.”</p><p>Raquel noticed that Sergio looked rather flattered, but she felt like Elena was building up to something. And sure enough…</p><p>“There’s just one thing, Professor”, the Inspector continued. “If you brought over 60 extra jumpsuits and masks, not to mention a machine gun… that means this was all planned beforehand. That ‘escape attempt’ yesterday was faked, wasn’t it? You were never planning on just robbing the Mint. You came prepared to stay for days. You’re printing money.”</p><p>Sergio’s raised his eyebrows at Raquel, and she leaned over to push the button with a feeling of alarm.</p><p>“Damn”, she said.</p><p>“I know”, he nodded. “She would have figured it out sooner or later, but I didn’t think it would be this fast.”</p><p>On the other side of the line, the Inspector said:</p><p>“I’m taking your silence as a ‘yes’. So let me tell you why I called you.”</p><p>“I’m all ears”, Sergio said.</p><p>“To give you a chance to surrender.”</p><p>He chuckled. “And why would I do that?”</p><p>“Because I’ve got footage from inside.”</p><p>Sergio shot Raquel an amused look, clearly thinking the Inspector was lying.</p><p>She continued: “I’ve got the identity of one of your crew members, and it won’t be long until I figure out the rest.”</p><p>He shook his head, smiling. “Inspector, I don’t think…”</p><p>She firmly cut him off. “I can offer you a deal with the public prosecutor. There have been no casualties, so I’m authorized to reduce your sentence from 16 to 8 years, but only if you come out now.”</p><p>“I don’t think that’s a fair deal. We’d lose.”</p><p>“You’ve already lost, Professor. Even if you managed to get out of there, your faces will be everywhere. What will you do then?”</p><p>“Activate plan B.”</p><p>“I see”, she said mildly. “You think I’m bluffing.”</p><p>“Frankly, yes.”</p><p>“Fine”, she said. “Let me prove to you that I am, in fact, telling the truth: you have 67 cell phones attached to the wall with Velcro.”</p><p>She let that sink in for a moment, while Sergio and Raquel looked at each other in dismay.</p><p>“Listen, Inspector…” he tried, but she knew she’d won.</p><p>“No”, she cut him off again. “I think we’re done here. You have one hour to accept my offer.”</p><p>She hung up, and all they were left with was the dial tone. They looked at each other in consternation.</p><p>“Fuck”, Raquel breathed. “How could she know that?”</p><p>“They must have missed a cell phone”, Sergio said, agitated. “One of the hostages is communicating with the police.”</p><p>“This is serious”, she said. “Call Berlin.”</p><p>He nodded and dialed. On the camera images, they saw Berlin enter the room and answer the phone.</p><p>“Hello Professor, hello Lisbon.”</p><p>Sergio lost no time. “They know about the phones we’ve taped to the wall.”</p><p>On the camera, Raquel saw Berlin frown.</p><p>“There are no security cameras inside, are there?” Sergio continued.</p><p>“Of course not, only the ones we’ve installed.”</p><p>Sergio was shredding his origami piece. Raquel reached out a hand and touched his arm, and he stopped.</p><p>“Then it was one of the hostages”, she said. “You must have missed a phone.”</p><p>“I don’t think so”, Berlin said.</p><p>“There’s no other option!” Sergio said. “You have to find that phone, or we’re screwed!”</p><p>“Let me punish them”, Berlin said. “Either we scare them or they’ll keep trying to be heroes.”</p><p>“Punish them how?” Raquel asked suspiciously.</p><p>“Set an example”, Berlin replied. “An execution, for example?”</p><p>“Are you mad?” Raquel said heatedly, at the same time that Sergio firmly said:</p><p>“No. Just find that phone.”</p><p>Sergio moved to hang up, but Raquel raised her hand to stop him.</p><p>“Just a moment. Berlin, is it true that one of the hostages asked for an abortion pill?”</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>“Which hostage?”</p><p>“Mónica Gaztambide.”</p><p>As Sergio hung up the phone, Raquel turned to him in disgust.</p><p>“An execution, seriously, what’s wrong with him?”</p><p>She got up and flipped through the files they had on the hostages until she found the right one.</p><p>“Here”, she said, “Mónica Gaztambide.”</p><p>Sergio threw a look at the file. “Isn’t she the one you thought was sleeping with the director of the Mint, Arturo Román?”</p><p>“Yes”, she said. “So I guess we know who the father is.”</p><p>She was scanning the screens.</p><p>“There she is, the one with the curly hair.”</p><p>“That’s the woman Berlin chose to make the declaration to the police this morning”, Sergio said.</p><p>“She looks so scared”, Raquel said softly. “Poor girl. What a situation to be in.”</p><p>Sergio nodded silently, and she turned to him with a frown.</p><p>“This doesn’t feel right, Sergio. She shouldn’t make a life-changing decision like this when she’s under so much pressure, she’s not thinking straight.”</p><p>He shifted uncomfortably. “I agree, but I don’t think there’s anything we can do. It’s her decision, we need to respect that.”</p><p>“Of course. But maybe someone could talk to her? We could ask Nairobi.”</p><p>“Honestly, Raquel, I feel for her, but the priority of the team right now should be to find that missing phone.”</p><p> “Yes”, she nodded. “That’s definitely our main problem. But I’m sure Berlin will find it soon.”</p><p>“I hope so”, he said dejectedly.</p><p>“Sergio”, she said softly, taking his hand and squeezing it, “go to bed. You’re exhausted.”</p><p>He shook his head. “Not until they have that phone.”</p><p>“Alright”, she sighed. “I’m going to get dressed and get some coffee.”</p><p>“No”, he said. “I don’t want you going outside, the entire area is crawling with police, any of whom would recognize you. I’ll go.”</p><p>He got up, but she stopped him with a hand on his arm. He looked down at her.</p><p>“It’s going to be alright”, she said gently. “This is only a minor set-back. We’ll get through it.”</p><p>He nodded and squared his shoulders. “Yes, you’re right.”</p><p>A soft look appeared in his eyes and he bent down to press a kiss to her lips. “Thank you.”</p><p>Then he straightened up again and walked towards the door.</p><p>…</p><p>Sergio hurried back to the hangar, trying to suppress the feeling of panic rising in his chest. This was bad, this was <em>really </em>bad. He desperately needed to talk to Raquel. When he opened the door, however, he found Raquel and Tokyo shouting at each other.</p><p>“What happened?” he asked urgently, putting on his own headset.</p><p>“Berlin hurt Rio”, Raquel quickly summarized, and then Tokyo was yelling in his ear.</p><p>“… and if anyone lays another hand on him, the next bullet will be aimed at one of you!”</p><p>He felt a cold anger as the Professor took over. “This is exactly why I wanted no personal relationships.”</p><p>“You’re one to talk!” Tokyo yelled back.</p><p>“I don’t let my relationship cloud my judgment”, Sergio said icily. “Control yourself, Tokyo.”</p><p>“But Berlin hurt him! He <em>hurt </em>him!”</p><p>“Why?”</p><p>“Just because he made a stupid little mistake!”</p><p>“What mistake?” Sergio said sharply.</p><p>“It appears that Rio allowed a hostage to use her phone and the police accessed it”, Raquel explained. “That’s how they got the image of the phones on the wall.”</p><p>Sergio cursed softly.</p><p>“It was a mistake!” Tokyo yelled. “Everybody makes mistakes, you can’t go around hurting people for every little thing! We’re supposed to be a team!”</p><p>Sergio’s thoughts were racing, and he suddenly put two and two together.</p><p>“Well”, he said coldly, “Your boyfriend’s ‘little mistake’ may well cost us this operation. The police found out your identity, Tokyo, and Rio’s too.”</p><p>Raquel’s eyes went wide.</p><p>“I was just out”, Sergio continued, “and I saw your faces on the news. The police know who you are. They probably got a glimpse of Rio through that cell phone and worked from there. So no, Tokyo, this wasn’t a ‘little mistake’.”</p><p>He hung up, and felt his anger fade together with the Professor as he looked at Raquel. He gave her a helpless look. They were quiet for a few moments.</p><p>“Looks like the Inspector was telling the truth, then”, Raquel said finally.</p><p>He nodded, a sinking feeling in his stomach. “So it seems.”</p><p>“Why were you gone so long?”</p><p>“Elena was in Hanoi again.”</p><p>Raquel raised her eyebrows. “Oh, she’s ‘Elena’ now?”</p><p>Sergio ignored that. “I tried to find out how much she knew about the team inside, but she didn’t tell me anything useful.”</p><p>“Of course she didn’t, Sergio, and she won’t! She doesn’t know you!”</p><p>“She was quite friendly, though. I think I only need a few more meetings before she’ll really trust me.”</p><p>“I still think this is a bad idea!”</p><p>“You’ve made that abundantly clear, thank you.”</p><p>“Sergio…”</p><p>He cut her off. “I don’t want to have this discussion again. We have <em>actual </em>problems to deal with.” He gave her an anguished look. “They found out their identities, Raquel. That wasn’t supposed to happen.”</p><p>“Well”, she said firmly, “it’s unfortunate, but there’s nothing we can do about it now. We’ll just have to make sure they’re disguised when we get out of here. But if I were Elena, I’d try to get a message to Rio now, he’s clearly a weak link because he’s still so young. You should call him, Sergio, make sure he sticks to the script we gave him if the police contact him. He may be a little shaken up by what happened with Berlin.”</p><p>He nodded. “Yes, I will.”</p><p>She gave him a closer look. “Sergio, it was inevitable that some things would go wrong. This is a massive undertaking.”</p><p>“But I planned everything so carefully. How could this happen?”</p><p>“Human error”, she said. “There’s no way to plan for that. You can control a lot of things, my love, but you can’t control other people.”</p><p>He didn’t like that one bit. His life’s work, in the hands of other people – irrational, emotional, impulsive people. So many grains of sand in the perfect, gleaming machinery of his plan, any one of them containing the potential to bring the whole thing to a grinding halt. He’d done his best to tell them what to do, how to act, but he now realized for the first time that they might simply… choose not to follow his instructions. How many other bad choices would they make? The idea terrified him.</p><p>Raquel was observing him closely. “Go to bed, Sergio. Everything will look better when you’re rested.”</p><p>He shook his head. “Elena will call back in twenty minutes, I need to be awake for that.”</p><p>“I can handle that conversation.”</p><p>“You know I don’t want you talking to the police. And anyway, I’m too worked up to sleep now.”</p><p>“Then go and hit that punching bag for a bit, that should help.”</p><p>He nodded and got up.</p><p>After twenty minutes, in which he worked off some of his frustration, washed himself, and had something to eat, he felt a little better, and he sat down to wait for the Inspector’s next call with a renewed feeling of calm. When the phone rang, he was ready with another of his prepared lines.</p><p>“Your hour is up”, Elena said. “What’s your answer?”</p><p>“Inspector”, he replied. “What games did you used to play as a child?”</p><p>There was a silence on the other end of the line, and for a moment Sergio thought the Inspector might be fed up with his questions and refuse to play. He hoped not – this was the fun part of the negotiations – so he smiled broadly when she decided to answer after all.</p><p>“I’m afraid I was a very boring child – I spent all of my time reading. Not unlike you, I think.”</p><p>Sergio raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Me?”</p><p>“You were a very bookish child, too, weren’t you?”</p><p>He looked at Raquel – how could she possibly know that? Raquel motioned at him to move the conversation along, but he had to know.</p><p>“Why do you think that?”</p><p>“Look at the way this operation was planned”, she said. “Meticulously, with such attention to detail, and above all, so <em>elegant</em>. A victimless crime – you’re not even robbing anyone. It’s beautiful, really. You’re an idealist, aren’t you? You’re not a violent criminal, you’re not a butcher – you’re a surgeon. A bookish boy with a big idea. Tell me if I’m wrong.”</p><p>Sergio was impressed.</p><p>“So I think”, the Inspector continued, “that 16 years in prison won’t be very pleasant for you. Take my offer, Professor. Eight years, and you’ll be out in six on good behavior.”</p><p>Sergio smiled. “Well, thank you for the offer, Inspector, but I’ve talked this over with my associates and we’re choosing <em>zero </em>years in prison instead.”</p><p>“Sooner or later something on your end will go wrong”, Elena said quietly. “And then 8 years of prison will turn into 30. Get out now, before that happens.”</p><p>“I assure you that everything is under perfect control”, Sergio said. “So I have no reason to accept your deal. We hold all the cards here, Inspector, so I’d like to make a few requests.”</p><p>He started making his demands, asking for a truck and a boat, pretending that they didn’t have an escape plan in place. She didn’t buy it, however.</p><p>“You expect me to believe that you planned this whole thing but you don’t have a plan to get out of there?”</p><p>He quickly improvised: “I knew that I would be able to count on your cooperation for that particular part of the operation. I promise you that you will get your 67 hostages, safe and sound, as long as I get what I requested.”</p><p>He hung up, and Raquel frowned at him.</p><p>“Do you think she believed you?”</p><p>He shrugged. “It doesn’t really matter. I hope she’ll lose time trying to get that ship, but if she doesn’t, we’ll just move on to one of our other delaying tactics.”</p><p>At that point, their attention was drawn to the screens: Berlin, Tokyo, Rio and Nairobi were gathered in the breakroom and seemed to be having an argument. When Tokyo drew her gun, Raquel quickly picked up the phone and called them. Rio answered.</p><p>“What’s going on?” Raquel and Sergio both asked at the same time through their headset.</p><p>They saw Tokyo point her gun at Berlin.</p><p>“No”, they heard her say in the background. “<em>You </em>tell them.”</p><p>Berlin took the phone. “I’ve broken the first rule of the plan.”</p><p>Sergio sharply looked up. “What?”</p><p>“I’ve killed a hostage. Well, it wasn’t me, it was Denver, but he was following my orders.”</p><p>Sergio froze, his brain refusing to absorb that information. <em>No</em>, he thought. <em>No, this isn’t true. He’s lying, he’s joking, it </em>can’t <em>be true. </em>Next to him, Raquel was shaking her head in disbelief, too, her eyes wide. <em>I’m dreaming, I misheard.</em></p><p>On the screen, Berlin grinned at Tokyo, who was still pointing her gun at him. “I thought it would be best to tell you personally.”</p><p>As it suddenly hit him that this was really happening, Sergio felt like the floor dropped out from underneath him. Panic started rising inside his chest and he was breathing fast as he gripped the desk with shaking hands.</p><p>“That was the only red line”, he said. “The <em>only </em>red line! You’ve fucked everything up, Berlin.”</p><p>“I understand that you’re shocked.”</p><p>“You’ve fucked everything up”, Sergio repeated. He was shaking hard now, feeling like he was falling, falling, falling… and then Raquel took his hand and squeezed it tight, and he held onto it like a lifeline. He looked at her and saw his own desperation mirrored in her face.</p><p>“She had a phone between her legs”, Berlin continued. “Maybe she wanted to call her cousin Chelito, but personally I think she was going to call the police. There will be no more phones now, you can be sure of that.”</p><p>“Who was she?” Sergio asked.</p><p>“Mónica Gaztambide.”</p><p>“The pregnant girl?” Raquel whispered in horror. “Oh Berlin, how <em>could </em>you?”</p><p>Sergio couldn’t speak. He just clung to Raquel’s hand and stared at his brother’s face on the screen, serene, unruffled. Who was this man – this monster – who spoke so calmly of killing a woman? He felt like a stranger.</p><p>“Will you punish me?” Berlin asked. “You should. I know you’re an idealist, that you think they’ll just give us the money if we ask politely. I know you want to be a good guy even if we do have explosives enough to blow this place up. But no more games now. You will have to punish me. Because if you don’t have the guts, this won’t end well. I’ve told you this many times throughout the years. It’s not me who has a problem, it’s <em>you</em>.”</p><p>“Shut up, Berlin”, Raquel said beside him, her voice low and dangerous. “You shut up <em>right now.</em>”</p><p>“You’re not like him, Lisbon”, Berlin said. “You live in the real world, you know I’m right. He needs to show that he’s a captain who can firmly hold the helm. I need to know he’s someone I can put my faith in. You know he has to punish me – make sure he does it.”</p><p>Sergio was still shaking, his mind racing with the implications, the horrible, horrible consequences. He never planned for this. Out of all the things he’d prepared for, this was the one scenario he’d never considered. Suddenly he was back in the classroom in Toledo.</p><p>
  <em>“If there’s even one drop of blood -- and this is very important -- if even one person dies, we’re no longer Robin Hoods but simply bastards.”</em>
</p><p>He was only vaguely aware that Raquel was still talking next to him.</p><p>“You’re a psychopath, you know that?!” she said angrily.</p><p>“I’m a realist”, Berlin answered calmly.</p><p>Raquel looked like she had <em>much </em>more to say, but she glanced at Sergio and seemed to decide that there were more urgent things right now than yelling at Berlin.</p><p>“Nobody knows about this woman right now”, Berlin continued. “The plan can go ahead.”</p><p>Sergio finally found his voice. “They’ll ask for proof of life soon, though.”</p><p>“Within three days”, Raquel confirmed. “Congratulations, Berlin. You just set a time bomb under this whole operation. I hope you’re fucking proud of yourself.”</p><p>And she hung up the phone with a bang.</p><p>Sergio stared straight ahead. He felt like his carefully laid plans were crashing to the ground around him, and he could hear his hopes shatter. Dead. Someone was <em>dead</em>. Mónica Gaztambide – they had seen her on the screens mere hours ago. She’d looked so scared. As he saw her face in his mind’s eye, there was a sharp pain in his chest and suddenly he couldn’t breathe, his mind a swirling vortex of panic and shock. A darkness was gathering at the edges of his vision. He desperately tried to summon the confidence and calm of the Professor, longing to trade the mess of his emotions for cool rationality, but just as he felt the persona manifest, Raquel put a hand on his arm.</p><p>“Sergio”, she said softly but insistently. “This isn’t your fault.”</p><p>To his distress, he felt her touch crack open the hard shell of the Professor to reveal Sergio again, vulnerable and in pain. He didn’t want to be Sergio right now, he needed to be strong, he needed to <em>think, </em>he couldn’t let emotions cloud his mind. He had to get out of here, he needed distance, he needed clarity. He stood up.</p><p>“Where are you going?” she asked.</p><p>“Berlin was right”, he said through numb lips. “I have to punish him.”</p><p>“I agree”, she nodded. “He has to be removed from command right now.”</p><p>He shook his head. “No, I can’t do that.”</p><p>“Yes you can. Call the team, have him tied up, put someone else in charge.”</p><p>“Nobody else is suited to lead this operation.”</p><p>“Berlin isn’t either! He went against your explicit orders!”</p><p>“He made a mistake. He’ll be punished accordingly.”</p><p>“A <em>mistake</em>? Sergio, it’s not like he tripped and his gun went off! He ordered this woman to be killed in cold blood! That’s not a mistake!”</p><p>“Yes it is”, he said stubbornly. It had to be, it <em>had </em>to be a mistake. His brother wasn’t – he wasn’t a <em>murderer</em>. “I just need to show him he has to respect my rules and it won’t happen again.”</p><p>“How can you <em>possibly </em>be sure of that?”</p><p>“I know him”, Sergio said simply. “I know he won’t disobey orders again. I’m… I’m sure he regrets this.”</p><p>She gave him the most skeptical look. “That’s really not what it sounded like.”</p><p>He went over to the cupboard where he kept small items with everybody’s DNA and took out the container that held a button off his brother’s coat.</p><p>“What’s that?” she asked.</p><p>“Berlin’s DNA. I’m going to Toledo to plant it in the house. In a few days, we’ll lead them there and they’ll uncover his identity. That’s his punishment.”</p><p>She stood up in alarm. “Sergio, you are <em>not </em>getting on that bike when you’re this sleep-deprived!”</p><p>He gave her a desperate look. “I <em>have </em>to, Raquel, I… I can’t stay here right now, I…” His voice broke. “I <em>can’t</em>.”</p><p>She came closer to him with a soft look in her eyes. “I understand, but really, it’s too dangerous for you to drive now. Please try to sleep first, <em>please</em>.”</p><p>His eyes were burning. “I can’t.”</p><p>She reached out a hand, but he brushed it away and walked past her. If she touched him right now, if she tried to hold him, if she said <em>one thing </em>to comfort him, he knew he would shatter into a thousand pieces and how would he put himself back together then? She seemed to realize that he needed some time to cope, because she didn’t try to stop him again when he put on his leather jacket and picked up his helmet.</p><p>“Please be careful”, she said softly.</p><p>He nodded. “Don’t talk to the police while I’m gone.”</p><p>“I won’t.”</p><p>He kept seeing Mónica’s scared face as he walked out the door and towards his bike. Dead, dead, dead. When he got on, his guilt suddenly overwhelmed him and he needed a moment to steady himself, drawing deep, shaking breaths. Everything was going wrong, everything was falling apart around him and there was nothing he could do to stop it. A gunshot echoed through his head and he flinched. Dead, dead, dead. He gazed down at his trembling hands. They looked red with blood.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Mónica: part 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello lovely people! You know I usually update on Sundays, but the chapter was finished and I thought you might like some distraction in these trying times. It's very Hurt/Comfort though, so if you're not in the mood for that right now (which would be very understandable!) maybe come back to it at a later time. Please take care of your mental health as well as your physical health.</p>
<p>This chapter is a direct continuation of the previous one -- really they are two parts of the same chapter. So you may want to re-read part 1 before starting this one. </p>
<p>Thegirloverseas has again proven herself to be the loveliest of beta readers! Her insights and thougthful comments and suggestions are just invaluable to me -- I can't imagine writing without her anymore. I can't possibly thank her enough for all the time (SO much time!!) she's spent discussing this fic with me!</p>
<p>I hope you and your loved ones all are, and stay, healthy and safe! Take care ♥</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p>
<p>She watched him go, the man she loved, she watched him walk through the door with his shoulders hunched in pain and her heart bled for him. She was shocked too, but she’d always known that this might happen, that not everyone might make it out of this alive. Not Sergio, though. She knew he’d believed – he’d truly believed – that this would be a clean operation, that nobody would suffer any serious consequences. An idealist, both the Inspector and Berlin had called him. Yes, she thought, he was that, and she loved him for it. She realized with a stab of sorrow that he would never be the same again after this.</p>
<p>She moved back to the screens and was just in time to see the team carry Moscow into the break room and put him on the couch. <em>Oh no</em>. She called them, and Nairobi explained he’d collapsed after hearing that Denver had shot the hostage. Of course, she thought. This didn’t just impact Sergio, it impacted all of them. She grimaced – she couldn’t even imagine how Denver must be feeling, the guy wasn’t a killer, and she felt another rush of anger at Berlin for turning him into one. She realized with a sinking feeling that they would all walk away from this different people, with scars and wounds and memories they would have to live with for the rest of their lives. She’d known that – on some level she’d always known that – but it was different now that she was faced with it directly, and she felt a sick sense of dread as she wondered how much worse it was going to get.</p>
<p>The others left the breakroom, and after a while, she watched Denver help up Moscow and take him out of the room again. She assumed that they were going to the bathroom, but as she flipped through the other camera images, she saw Denver collect a group of hostages, and she frowned. Where was he taking them? She followed their progress through the building, mystified, as they went up floor by floor. Then there was only one floor left and she suddenly realized where they were going – but, no, that couldn’t be, right? They couldn’t be <em>that </em>stupid? Her eyes went wide as she realized that Denver <em>was </em>in fact that stupid, and that he was taking the hostages out on the roof, where they would be open targets for the snipers undoubtedly waiting for them on the buildings across the street.</p>
<p>Firmly suppressing a growing feeling of panic, she quickly picked up the phone and called the breakroom. Nairobi came in and picked up.</p>
<p>“Yes?”</p>
<p>“Denver is taking hostages out on the roof!” Raquel said urgently.</p>
<p>“What? Why?!”</p>
<p>“I don’t know, just stop him!”</p>
<p>Nairobi put down the phone and ran out of the room. Raquel could only look on helplessly as she watched the hostages realize, too, where they were going, then one of them started arguing with Denver – Arturo Román, she realized, the director of the Mint, who was probably feeling deeply hostile towards Denver after Mónica’s death. Raquel watched the argument with bated breath, afraid that it might get out of hand. A minute later, thankfully, Nairobi came into view, shouting at Denver, and Raquel breathed a sigh of relief: the situation was under control now. Nairobi was gesturing furiously at Denver, and though Denver was arguing back, Raquel trusted that Nairobi wouldn’t let them step out onto the roof under any circumstances.</p>
<p>Then a movement from one of the hostages caught her eye and she immediately tensed again: Arturo Román clearly decided to make use of Denver’s distraction, and to Raquel’s horror, he suddenly made a grab for Denver’s gun – her fingernails were digging into her palms – there was a struggle – her breathing stopped – the hostages on the screen were panicking – then suddenly the gun went off and Román fell to the floor and lay horribly still.</p>
<p>Raquel could only stare at the screen, numb. No.</p>
<p>Denver kneeled down next to Román and shook him. No.</p>
<p>Moscow was leaning against the wall, his hand pressed to his chest. <em>No. </em></p>
<p>There was a ringing in her ears. This couldn’t – this couldn’t be happening. Not another one, please not another one.</p>
<p>On the screen, other members of the team came running, drawn by the sound of the gunshot. To Raquel’s infinite relief, she suddenly saw Román stir, and he was picked up by Oslo and Helsinki and carried into the breakroom, where Nairobi picked up the phone. Raquel scrambled to do the same, connecting her to Nairobi.</p>
<p>“He needs a doctor!” she yelled immediately. “We can’t have another dead hostage, goddammit, get us a doctor <em>now</em>!”</p>
<p>“I will”, Raquel said, pushing away her fear and shock as she felt a strong sense of purpose come over her, and with it a feeling of focus and calm. She knew what she had to do.</p>
<p>She put down the phone and immediately picked it up again to dial the number of the command center. Inspector González answered at the first ring.</p>
<p>“Hello, Professor.”</p>
<p>Raquel didn’t correct her – she knew the voice software would conceal her voice completely, making her sound exactly like the Professor, and she thought it better if the police didn’t know that the team had two people on the outside. She lost no time.</p>
<p>“A hostage has been shot”, she said. “He’s alive but hurt. I need a medical team in the Mint immediately.”</p>
<p>“You shot a hostage?” Elena said, alarmed.</p>
<p>“It was an accident, he grabbed at a gun. Medical team, <em>now</em>!”</p>
<p>“Send him out”, the Inspector demanded. “So we can treat him properly.”</p>
<p>Raquel grimaced at the thought of letting one of their most important hostages go if it wasn’t absolutely necessary. She’d send him out if she had to, but not without a fight.</p>
<p>“No, it wouldn’t be safe to move him”, she said.</p>
<p>“Are you a doctor now?” the Inspector snapped. “How could you know that?”</p>
<p>“Are you willing to risk it?” Raquel said heatedly. “My team has no experience in moving injured people, do you want him to die on his way to the ambulance?”</p>
<p>“Then let me send in the paramedics with a stretcher so they can move him safely.”</p>
<p>“We’re not letting in a bunch of people with equipment that might conceal weapons. Send in a medical team, no more than three people, small bags of equipment only.”</p>
<p>“He’d still get much better treatment if you…”</p>
<p>“Inspector!” Raquel said sternly. “Every second you argue, a man is losing blood!”</p>
<p>“Fine”, the Inspector said curtly, “Fine, I’ll send in a medical team. But what do I get in return?”</p>
<p>Raquel’s eyebrows went up. “What you get is a hostage who won’t die on your watch!”</p>
<p>“If I’m not mistaken, he’s dying on <em>your </em>watch. And I don’t think you want that at all – you want a victimless crime, right? Moreover, you want to keep public opinion on your side. Do you think that will happen if he dies?”</p>
<p>Raquel cursed silently at Elena’s accurate assessment of the situation.</p>
<p>“So I want something in return for sending in the medical team”, the Inspector continued. “There’s a woman among your hostages who’s eight months pregnant – she shouldn’t be in this situation. Let her go.”</p>
<p>Raquel hesitated, thinking fast. She’d been feeling uncomfortable about the pregnant woman, and she was tempted to send her out, but a released hostage would be able to give the police important information. She bit her lip – no, she would have to use a different strategy. She knew Sergio had been keeping this a secret so it could be used against the police at some point, but she felt like she had no choice but to play this card now.</p>
<p>“Inspector”, she said firmly, “you should know that I’m recording this conversation. If you refuse to send in the medical team, I will leak it to the press and all of Spain will know that you refused to save a hostage.”</p>
<p>There was a pause on the other side of the line, and Raquel held her breath. Then…</p>
<p>“The medical team will be there asap.”</p>
<p>…</p>
<p>Sergio drew his bike up to the curb beside the hangar, feeling haggard and exhausted and numb. He’d spent much of the drive back to Madrid thinking about Raquel’s suggestion to remove his brother from command. Of course she didn’t know Berlin was his brother, and he felt like that was a good thing: it meant that her view of the situation was more objective than his own. He feared that his vision on the matter was clouded by feelings of personal loyalty – see, this was why there shouldn’t have been any personal relationships between the members of the team. How could he know if he was only keeping Berlin in charge because he was his brother or because he truly felt that he was the most capable person for the job? On the other hand, he still believed that Berlin was the most likely to stay loyal to him if things went wrong, specifically <em>because </em>they had a personal bond. And then there was the plan: he’d never envisioned the possibility that his brother would have to be removed from command, so he had no plan B in place, and the consequences of removing him could be so far-reaching. He couldn’t just make an impulsive decision about something so important, he needed to think it through, weigh the pros and cons, maybe sleep on it, because he felt like he wasn’t thinking straight anymore.</p>
<p>He hesitated outside the door of the hangar. He didn’t want to go back in – he wanted to take Raquel and go back to the house in Toledo, turn back the clock to a simpler time, a time when he’d been hopeful and happy, before he had this atrocity on his conscience, before his brother became a murderer. Things would never be that simple again, he knew, and the thought filled him with a desperate sadness. How could he face Raquel again after this? He’d promised her – right from the beginning he’d promised her – that nobody would suffer because of this heist, that nobody would be harmed, and he’d let her down so horribly. How would she look at him now? What could he find in her eyes except reproach and disappointment?</p>
<p>He took a deep breath and opened the door. The moment he stepped over the threshold, he knew something was wrong.</p>
<p>“What happened?” he asked, hurrying up to her.</p>
<p>She turned to him and the look on her face made him freeze.</p>
<p>“What happened?” he repeated in a whisper.</p>
<p>“It… it will probably be alright, Sergio, but… another hostage has been shot.”</p>
<p>The world around him reeled alarmingly, and he had to put a hand on the table to steady himself.</p>
<p>“Dead?”</p>
<p>“No”, she hastened to clarify, “but pretty badly wounded.”</p>
<p>“I have to call the command center”, he said dazedly, reaching for his headset. “We need a medical team.”</p>
<p>“I already did that”, she said. “The medical team is on its way.”</p>
<p>He looked up sharply. “You called the command center?”</p>
<p>“Yes.”</p>
<p>He felt a spark of hot, irrational anger strike inside him, igniting all the frustration and pain and panic that was already there.</p>
<p>“I told you you shouldn’t talk to the police, Raquel!”</p>
<p>“I know, but the situation…”</p>
<p>“Do you <em>understand </em>the risk you took? If the voice software had malfunctioned for even a <em>second</em>, Angel would have recognized your voice! How could you be so reckless?”</p>
<p>She stood up now, angry. “Sergio, you do understand that a man is <em>bleeding to death </em>in there? I had no choice!”</p>
<p>“You always have a choice!”</p>
<p>“I’m not letting someone <em>die </em>because…”</p>
<p>“Raquel!” he cut her off. “Keeping you safe is more important than <em>anything</em> else!”</p>
<p>“This isn’t about keeping me safe!” she yelled. “This is about <em>you </em>not wanting to surrender even an <em>ounce </em>of control to anyone else!”</p>
<p>“That’s not true”, he said defensively. “I left you in charge just now.”</p>
<p>“To keep an eye on the cameras, yes, but I’m not allowed to do anything <em>important</em>. You don’t trust me! It can’t work that way, Sergio, if I’m here alone I <em>need </em>to be able to act when necessary!”</p>
<p>He glanced at the screens. “The medical team is entering.”</p>
<p>They both turned to the camera images, where they saw several members of the team pointing guns at the people who were entering. Suddenly Raquel caught her breath.</p>
<p>“That’s Angel!”</p>
<p>Sergio looked up sharply. “Are you sure?”</p>
<p>“Zoom in!”</p>
<p>He did so, and she nodded. “Yes, it’s him, I’m sure!”</p>
<p>He straightened slowly, his anger and frustration fading away as he was flooded with a deep feeling of satisfaction. Yes… <em>yes! </em>He was right, he <em>knew </em>it would happen! He punched the air with a fierce sense of triumph. <em>Finally </em>something was going right again! Beside him, Raquel looked decidedly less enthusiastic, but he didn’t really notice it as he quickly picked up the phone and called the Mint. Berlin answered.</p>
<p>“There’s a police officer entering with the doctors.”</p>
<p>“Which one?”</p>
<p>“The one with the glasses. You know what to do. And Berlin, this needs to be handled <em>perfectly.”</em></p>
<p>Berlin nodded and put down the phone, then marched to the entrance hall. Sergio and Raquel watched with bated breath as a mic was placed in the glasses of an unsuspecting Angel. The medical team set up their material as Román was brought out, then they watched as the doctors removed the bullet. Finally, Román was patched up and the medical team left again, including Angel. Sergio felt a surge of excitement as he turned on the radio connected to the mic. For a moment, nothing happened, but then they heard the voice of the Inspector, loud and clear.</p>
<p>“How is the hostage?”</p>
<p>“He’ll be fine”, Angel said.</p>
<p>Oh, this was amazing, this was <em>fantastic</em>, this was the best thing that could possibly happen to them and the police had <em>no idea</em>. He turned to Raquel with shining eyes and a broad grin, but she was frowning at the radio, and his smile faded.</p>
<p>“What’s wrong?”</p>
<p>“It’s just…”, she said, grimacing. “Well, we assumed at some point someone would try to infiltrate and we might be able to plant a bug on him, I just… I just hadn’t thought that it might be Angel.”</p>
<p>He felt a stab of annoyance, though the told himself her reaction was understandable. “I know he was your colleague, Raquel, but this is a great thing for us.”</p>
<p>“I know”, she said. “I know.”</p>
<p>“We talked about doing this”, he said softly. “You agreed it was a good idea.”</p>
<p>She sighed. “That doesn’t mean I have to like it.”</p>
<p>He nodded. “That’s true. I respect that.”</p>
<p>She gave him an uneasy look. “It’s just… Angel could get into real trouble for this. If they start suspecting him, he’ll get fired.”</p>
<p>“It’s a sacrifice we’ll have to make. This could be <em>vital </em>for the success of the operation.”</p>
<p>“I know”, she said, and he could see her shake off her unease. “You’re right, this is a great thing for us. And about time, too – we needed a win after today.”</p>
<p>He flinched, suddenly reminded of the thing that had been driven out of his mind by the excitement surrounding the medical team. Dead, dead, dead. He took a deep breath – no, <em>no, </em>he couldn’t think of that now, he had to push it aside, he had to focus, <em>focus. </em>With an effort of will, he directed his attention entirely to the radio to hear Angel describe what he had seen inside, which wasn’t that much, but it served to keep Mónica from his mind. A little later, he went out to get them food, then they spent the evening listening in on what was happening in the command center and keeping an eye on the screens. After a while, most people in the tent went home and Angel and Elena seemed absorbed in reading, because they could only hear background chatter, nothing distinguishable. Sergio relaxed a bit, then glanced guiltily at Raquel.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry for shouting at you earlier. Of course you did the right thing calling the command center to ask for that medical team.”</p>
<p>She nodded. “Thank you.”</p>
<p>“I’m… I’m not myself today.”</p>
<p>“I understand”, she said softly. “Sergio…”</p>
<p>He grimaced. “Please don’t.”</p>
<p>“We have to talk about it.”</p>
<p>He shook his head. “Please, not… not right now.”</p>
<p>“You can’t deal with this alone, you have to…”</p>
<p>He held up his hand. “They’re talking again.”</p>
<p>On the radio, Angel and Elena were discussing the files they’d read. Raquel and Sergio listened intently, but heard nothing of particular interest. Finally they heard the Inspector say:</p>
<p>“You should go home, Angel, you’re tired.”</p>
<p>“Yes, you’re right.”</p>
<p>They heard Angel get up, then he said:</p>
<p>“You should go home too, Elena.”</p>
<p>“No”, she said, “I’m going to go over these files again, there may be something I’ve missed.”</p>
<p>“Then I should stay too.”</p>
<p>“No”, she said, “you need to sleep.”</p>
<p>“You need to sleep too at some point.”</p>
<p>“I’ll sleep for a few hours in the other tent.”</p>
<p>“A few hours isn’t enough. Who knows how much longer this will take?”</p>
<p>“Not that much longer if I can help it.”</p>
<p>“Still…”</p>
<p>“Angel”, she said firmly, “Go home.”</p>
<p>Angel left the tent, meaning they wouldn’t hear anything worth hearing anymore, so they turned off the radio.</p>
<p>“She’s overworking herself”, Sergio said. “Good. The more tired she is, the more likely it is that she’ll make a mistake.”</p>
<p>Raquel hesitated. “She doesn’t seem like the kind of person who makes a lot of mistakes.”</p>
<p>“Everyone makes mistakes. She’s making a mistake right now by not sleeping.”</p>
<p>Raquel threw him a sharp glance. “Does that remind you of someone, by any chance?”</p>
<p>He looked at her, confused. “Who?”</p>
<p>“<em>You</em>, Sergio! You’ve been awake for 40 hours straight and you criticize <em>her </em>for not sleeping?”</p>
<p>He fidgeted, knowing she was right. His eyes were burning, his head was fuzzy, his body was aching. But if he stopped focusing on the heist, what thoughts would invade his mind instead?</p>
<p>Raquel shot him a soft look. “Go to bed, Sergio.”</p>
<p>“I… I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep.”</p>
<p>“At least put on your pajamas and try.”</p>
<p>He did as she said. As he undressed, he tried to clear his mind of all thoughts, to focus only on his breathing, but now that the chatter on the radio wasn’t filling his head anymore, the events of the day came crashing back to him mercilessly. Her eyes, her frightened eyes. <em>I’ve killed a hostage, </em>he heard his brother say again,<em> Mónica Gaztambide. </em>As he buttoned up his pajamas his hands started shaking again as he relived that moment. He felt like there was a darkness gathering all around him, obscuring his vision, and no matter where he looked, he could see no way out. She was dead, she would never live again. She would never smile or see the sun again. She’d died, alone and afraid, because twenty years ago, he’d had an idea and he’d allowed it to consume him. He’d been blinded by his own cleverness, unable to see beyond the abstract perfection of his plan to the possible human cost behind it. The darkness around him intensified until he couldn’t bear it anymore – he sank down on the bed and buried his face in his hands. He’d never felt so lost.</p>
<p>He heard her get up from behind the desk, then she kneeled down before him and gently pulled his hands away from his face.</p>
<p>“Sergio”, she said softly, “it wasn’t your fault.”</p>
<p>“She must have been so scared”, he whispered.</p>
<p>For a moment, he saw his own sorrow and anguish reflected in her eyes.</p>
<p>“I know”, she said. “I know, my love, and it’s horrible, but you can’t blame yourself. This was Berlin’s doing.”</p>
<p>“But who put Berlin in charge?”</p>
<p>“You did that with the best of intentions. You didn’t know that he was capable of… of this.”</p>
<p>“No”, he whispered. “I had no idea.”</p>
<p>“So this isn’t your fault.”</p>
<p>He looked down at his hands. “Raquel. This is my operation. I planned all of this, I put it in motion, I chose to execute it. If I hadn’t done that, this woman would still be alive. There’s no denying that. An innocent person died, and what for? Not even for money – I don’t care about the money. She died because I had a brilliant idea and I wanted to see if it would work. So just because it isn’t my <em>fault</em> doesn’t mean it isn’t my <em>responsibility</em>. Because it is. Ultimately, I’m the one to blame. I killed her.”</p>
<p>Tears were burning behind his eyes, tears of guilt and helplessness and exhaustion. She was quiet and he didn’t dare look up at her, afraid of what he would see in her eyes, afraid that it would be accusation or horror or disgust. How could she ever look at him the same way again? What would she think of him now? The darkness pressed in, weighing on him like a heavy blanket. Would she – could she still love him after this?</p>
<p>“If you want to leave, I understand”, he whispered. It took all the strength he had to say it, but he felt like he owed her that, at least.</p>
<p>“Leave?” she said sharply. “Why would I leave?”</p>
<p>“You never signed up for this”, he said, still looking down. “You trusted me when I promised you nobody would get hurt. I failed you, I failed you so badly. I’m not the man you thought I was, I allowed this to happen, and now… now I have blood on my hands. You’d be perfectly within your rights to walk away. You’d be perfectly right to love me less.”</p>
<p>She took his face between her hands and made him look up at her. He was struck by the expression in her eyes. He’d never seen her so serious.</p>
<p>“Sergio”, she said. “I don’t love you less. You’re not capable of doing anything that would make me love you less. I <em>see </em>you. I know who you are, and you are not a killer. Questions of guilt and responsibility are so complex, my love. How far back in the chain of events can we go to assign blame? Is the manufacturer of a gun to blame if that gun is used to kill people? This operation was created by you, yes, but the moment we set it into motion it took on a life of its own, and the people involved make autonomous decisions that are beyond your control. To what point, then, are you to blame? As far as I see it, it’s our intentions that count more than the unintended consequences of our actions. Nobody can foresee those… not even you.”</p>
<p>“But I <em>should </em>have foreseen this, Raquel. The choices I made <em>clearly</em> had the potential of harming others, and I made them anyway. That makes me responsible.”</p>
<p>She nodded thoughtfully. “In a way. And yet, so many of our actions have the inherent potential of causing harm. Every time I get into my car, I have the potential of hitting someone with it. It doesn’t mean I shouldn’t do it.”</p>
<p>“It’s a question of degree, though. The possibility that someone would get hurt in this operation was very high.”</p>
<p>“But that’s where this gets so tricky”, she said. “How much risk are you allowed to take before something becomes your fault? Where’s the line between innocent and guilty? I’m not saying you’re entirely blameless, Sergio. But maybe there’s a grey area between complete innocence and complete guilt, and I think that’s where you’re at. So by all means, my love, take part of the responsibility for this, but don’t take on more than you deserve. You didn’t give that order. You didn’t pull that trigger. You didn’t kill that woman.”</p>
<p>He looked into her eyes and he saw complete conviction there, nothing but trust and acceptance and love. Why was she so good to him? What had he done to deserve her? This stupid heist had obscured his vision, but he suddenly saw her clearly again. His partner, his love. Raquel. She was his beacon, his north star, a brilliant, shining light guiding him back to himself, and he felt the darkness around him retreat in the blaze of her presence. She didn’t shrink from him, she didn’t walk away – she was right here beside him braving the storm, and he was overcome by an all-consuming gratitude that made him take her hands and kiss them.</p>
<p>“What would I do without you?” he whispered. “What would I do without you, Raquel?”</p>
<p>Tears were beginning to slide down his cheeks. She pulled him close and he finally allowed her to hold him, her warmth and nearness an inexpressible comfort to him as he cried.</p>
<p>“My love”, she said softly. “You’re so exhausted. You’re so, so tired. You have to sleep now, please, you <em>have </em>to.”</p>
<p>“I don’t know if I can”, he said, his voice cracking. “I keep seeing her face.”</p>
<p>“Then let me give you something to help you sleep. You can’t keep going like this, Sergio, you need <em>rest</em>.”</p>
<p>He shook his head. “I can’t take a sleeping pill, then you won’t be able to wake me if something happens.”</p>
<p>“Whatever happens”, she said, “I can handle it.”</p>
<p>“No, I should…”</p>
<p>“Sergio”, she said firmly. “I can handle it.”</p>
<p>She got up and came back with a glass of water and a little white tablet, which she held out to him.</p>
<p>“Take it.”</p>
<p>He shot an anxious look at the screens.</p>
<p>“It’s evening”, she said. “The hostages are sleeping, the police have gone home. It will be fine.”</p>
<p>When he still hesitated, she sat down next to him on the bed.</p>
<p>“Sergio”, she said softly. “You can’t do this alone. You can’t be in control all of the time. You’re going to have to trust me.”</p>
<p>He looked into her eyes, so calm, so steady. He’d always faced the world alone, he’d never had anyone but himself to really count on, and he suddenly realized that he hadn’t made the mental shift yet to truly comprehend that that was no longer the case. But he felt it now, he felt it so deeply. He wasn’t alone anymore – he would never be alone again – she would always be by his side and he would always be by hers, come what may. The realization was so profoundly moving, so world-changing, that he was unable to speak.</p>
<p>She held the tablet out to him again and asked: “Do you trust me?”</p>
<p>“With my life”, he whispered, then he took the tablet and swallowed it.</p>
<p>He could clearly see the relief in her eyes. “Thank you.”</p>
<p>He pulled her closer to him and leaned his forehead against hers. They stayed like that for several long moments, their eyes closed, just connecting. Then they broke apart and he put his hand against her cheek.</p>
<p>“I love you”, he said. “I may not always show it, but it will always be true.”</p>
<p>She leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss against his lips. “I love you too. Now and always. No matter what.”</p>
<p>He nodded. “No matter what.”</p>
<p>“And now you really have to sleep, my love.”</p>
<p>He got under the blankets, then looked up in surprise as she kicked off her shoes and joined him.</p>
<p>“No”, he protested weakly, “you should go and watch the screens.”</p>
<p>She shook her head. “I’m staying with you. Just for a moment. Just until you’re asleep.”</p>
<p>The next moment, she was in his arms, and he wanted to cry with the sheer, utter bliss of it. Holding her close, feeling her body nestle itself against his, her warmth, her scent – it all soothed him so much more than any sedative ever could, and he finally allowed himself to surrender to his exhaustion as he slowly felt his tension fade away.</p>
<p>“Raquel?” he murmured.</p>
<p>“Yes?”</p>
<p>“I’m so grateful you’re here.”</p>
<p>She hugged him even closer, and the last thing he was aware of was a warm glow of thankfulness as he drifted off to sleep in her arms.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>…</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She waited until she was sure he was fast asleep, then she carefully disengaged from him, got up and returned to the desk, a grim expression on her face. She picked up the phone and pressed the button for the Mint. On the screen, Tokyo walked into the breakroom and answered.</p>
<p>“Tokyo”, Raquel said. “I need to talk to Berlin.”</p>
<p>“He’s sleeping.”</p>
<p>“I don’t care, wake him up.”</p>
<p>Tokyo left, and a few minutes later a rather sleepy-eyed Berlin appeared and took up the phone.</p>
<p>Raquel lost no time.</p>
<p>“Do you have <em>any idea </em>what you’ve done to him?”</p>
<p>“Now listen, Lisbon…”</p>
<p>“No”, she cut him off, her voice fierce but low, so she wouldn’t disturb Sergio. “You listen to <em>me</em>. I don’t know what kind of power game you’re playing, but you will stop it <em>right now</em>. This heist isn’t an opportunity for you to show that you have the biggest dick in town. You endangered the entire operation today, you made a murderer out of an innocent man and you hurt the man I love, and I tell you <em>I will not stand by idly</em> for more of this. If you do something like this again, Berlin, I <em>swear to god</em> I will personally make sure you won’t live to enjoy your money after this is all done, and that’s a promise.”</p>
<p>He grinned broadly. “Don’t bother, love, I won’t have much time to enjoy my money anyway.”</p>
<p>“What does that mean?”</p>
<p>“That my own muscles are killing me. Saves you the trouble.”</p>
<p>“What the fuck are you talking about?”</p>
<p>“I’ve got myopathy. Genetic, incurable. I’ll be dead within the year.”</p>
<p>That made her fall quiet, stunned.</p>
<p>He raised his eyebrows. “But if you want to keep yelling at a dying man, go ahead.”</p>
<p>“Are you making this up?”</p>
<p>He snorted. “I wish.”</p>
<p>She hesitated, feeling her fury evaporate as she took in this new information. Then it suddenly hit her that he was only telling her this to manipulate her, and her anger flared again.</p>
<p>“Just because you’re dying doesn’t give you the right to decide over other people’s life and death, you fucking psychopath!”</p>
<p>He looked up at the camera, a challenging look. “In here, Lisbon, I’m in charge.”</p>
<p>“I outrank you, Berlin, and don’t you forget that.”</p>
<p>“You’re out there, though. What are you going to do to stop me?”</p>
<p>She felt a cold fury like she’d never felt before. She knew he couldn’t see her, but she leaned closer to the screen anyway, her voice carefully controlled as she said:</p>
<p>“One more misstep, Berlin. One more wrong move like this, and I will call Helsinki and Oslo, and I will order them to tie you up, blindfold and gag you and put you in an isolated room for the rest of this heist. Don’t think I won’t.”</p>
<p>“You think they will listen to you over me?”</p>
<p>“They will if they want their share of the money. Don’t make the mistake of thinking their loyalty to you is stronger than that.”</p>
<p>“Who would you put in charge instead?”</p>
<p>“Nairobi”, she said without hesitation.</p>
<p>He nodded appreciatively. “Good choice.”</p>
<p>“<em>This is not a game</em>, Berlin!”</p>
<p>He shook his head. “No, I realize you’re deadly serious.”</p>
<p>“You bet I am. One more toe out of line and you’re <em>done</em>. Do I make myself clear?”</p>
<p>He straightened his shoulders, and she suddenly realized that this was the kind of language he respected.</p>
<p>“You do”, he said. “I’ll stick to the plan.”</p>
<p>“Good”, she said coldly, then she hung up.</p>
<p>On the screen, she watched him smile and leave, and she kept staring at the empty room as she felt her anger drain away. So Berlin was dying. Only yesterday, that information would have made her feel sorry for him, but right now she couldn’t manage even a shred of sympathy. She felt so empty. Even if Berlin stuck to the plan now, she had a feeling that this heist was going to cost them more than they were willing to pay, that it would have consequences they hadn’t foreseen and weren’t prepared for, that it might hurt them in ways they couldn’t recover from. She turned in her chair to look at Sergio, finally sleeping, and she felt a fierce surge of resolve. No. She wouldn’t let this destroy him, she wouldn’t let this destroy <em>them</em>. They were stronger than this, they would get through this, together, scarred and bleeding maybe, but <em>goddammit </em>they would see that beach. He would take her hand and they would watch the sunset together and all of this would just be a nightmare, chased away by the wind in the palm trees, by barefoot walks and kisses by starlight. They would have all of that and more. A life beyond anything she’d ever dreamed of, almost within reach. Almost. Just nine more days. Nine more days, and it would be theirs.</p>
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<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Relief</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi everyone! These are such strange times. I hope you and your loved ones are all well and safe, and I hope you can find some distraction in fic! I wrote an extra long chapter this week, and I tried to add as much Serquel as I could :) I hope it helps just a little bit if you're having a hard time!</p><p>I am so blessed with my beta readers. I owe them so much, to the point that I just don't have the words to thank them. Still, I'll try:</p><p>I need to thank ParijanTaiyou for her unwavering support and enthusiasm, for always being ready to talk, for always helping me find ways out of difficult scenes. She never fails to encourage me, cheer me up, and make me believe in myself again.</p><p>I need to thank thegirloverseas for interrupting her own writing to talk about mine, for her insights, comments and suggestions, which never fail to improve my chapters. If my writing is getting better, it is in no small way thanks to her influence. </p><p>I hope you all enjoy this chapter! Take care of yourself and each other ♥</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
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  <strong>Day 3</strong>
</p><p>He woke up because she was softly squeezing his hand and saying his name. His mind was slow to respond – he’d been sleeping unexpectedly well, probably thanks to the sleeping pill Raquel had given him. He blinked his eyes open and the first thing he saw was her smile, the best thing he could possibly wake up to, and he felt an overwhelming desire to pull her into the bed with him, to wrap his arms around her and breathe her in and not let her go all day – all week – all of his life. He rubbed his eyes and regretfully pushed the impulse away.</p><p>“Good morning”, she said.</p><p>“Good morning. What time is it?”</p><p>“Four o’clock.”</p><p>He frowned. “You should have woken me an hour ago.”</p><p>“I figured you could use the extra hour. You were so exhausted.”</p><p>He sat up to kiss her. “Thank you.”</p><p>“How are you feeling?” she asked him tentatively.</p><p>Suddenly, the fog of sleep left his brain as the events of the previous day came rushing back to him and he closed his eyes and took a deep breath as he remembered… dead, dead, dead. She squeezed his hand more tightly, and once again he was so grateful that she was here with him, that he didn’t need to bear this alone. The guilt he felt threatened to overwhelm him again, but unlike yesterday, he found that he now had the strength to push it away.</p><p>He looked up at her. “I’m okay. Better than yesterday, in any case.”</p><p>“I’m glad”, she nodded. “I knew you needed to sleep. Do you want to talk about it?”</p><p>“No”, he decided. “No, I think we’ve said all there was to say on the matter. And now you need to sleep, you must be tired too.”</p><p>She put on her pajamas as he got out of bed – it was so weird to him that they now slept at different times. He wanted nothing more than to stay in bed and hold her as she slept, but he knew that was impossible, so he let her kiss him goodnight and then he settled himself in front of the screens. Everything was quiet in the Mint, only a few hostages working shifts around the presses while the others slept, so he had plenty of time to think. The guilt he was feeling over the death of Mónica Gaztambide hadn’t gone, but he was better able to handle it now, to put it away in a corner of his mind to deal with later, so he could focus on the rest of the operation. He knew they were operating on borrowed time now – at some point, probably within 48 hours, the police would ask for proof of life for all the hostages, and once they discovered that a hostage was dead, they wouldn’t hesitate any longer to try and enter the Mint by any means necessary. So his main goal over the next few days would be to delay the police question for proof of life for as long as possible, and by any means necessary. Because if it happened before the tunnel was open, his team would be trapped inside.</p><p>Around 7.30, he turned on the transmission for Angel’s bug again, and at 8 he heard Angel enter the command center. From that point onwards, all of Sergio’s attention was on the radio, to hear what the police were discussing. He briefly got up from his desk at 10 to wake Raquel, motioning to her that they couldn’t talk because he was listening to the transmission. She got dressed and took over from him at the desk so he could go out and get them breakfast, then they ate in silence, listening attentively and keeping one eye on the screens at the same time.</p><p>When the Inspector left to get coffee, things became quiet around Angel and they could finally talk.</p><p>“Did they say anything interesting while I was sleeping?” she asked.</p><p>“Angel came into work about two hours ago”, Sergio said, then proceeded to catch her up on what had been happening inside the tent.</p><p>On the radio, meanwhile, the Inspector came back.</p><p>“Here you go, Angel”, they heard her say. “Cappuccino, two sugars.”</p><p>She snorted. “She’d better be careful. If she’s this nice to him, he’s going to fall in love with her before this is over.”</p><p>Sergio shot her an amused look. “Why do you care?”</p><p>She showed him her most dignified expression. “I don’t.”</p><p>“I think you do”, he teased her. “You said he was in love with <em>you</em>. I think you’re a little jealous.”</p><p>“Don’t be ridiculous”, she scoffed.</p><p>He chuckled and dropped the matter so they could listen in on the conversation again. After a while, both Angel and Elena started reading files and nothing else of interest could be heard, so it was safe to talk again. Raquel turned to him with a sober expression.</p><p>“How are you feeling?” she asked him again.</p><p>“I’m okay”, he said. “I’m… I’m trying not to think about it. There’s nothing I can do about it now, anyway. The main thing is that we have to try to keep the operation going for as long as we can until they ask for proof of life.”</p><p>“Yes”, she nodded. “We’ll probably have to leave much sooner than we thought we would. Meanwhile, we have to try not to let anything else like this happen.”</p><p> “Speaking of that…” he said. “What will we do about Berlin?”</p><p>“I had a talk with him last night after you fell asleep. I think he’ll follow orders from now on.”</p><p>“You talked to him?” Sergio said, a little alarmed. “What did you say?”</p><p>“I just reminded him who’s in charge.”</p><p>Her tone was light, but by the look on her face, Sergio suspected his brother had had rather an unpleasant time. She turned to him.</p><p>“Can I ask you something though?”</p><p>“Of course.”</p><p>“How long have you known Berlin?”</p><p>He hesitated. “Uhm… a long time.”</p><p>“Then you know him quite well?”</p><p>“I do.”</p><p>She frowned at him. “Then you knew before you recruited him, right?”</p><p>“Knew what?”</p><p>“That he’s a sociopath.”</p><p>“Oh”, he said, shifting uncomfortably. “That.”</p><p>“The signs are all there: he’s aware that his actions are wrong, but he clearly feels no regret. I don’t think he feels empathy, either, and he has a terribly narcissistic personality.”</p><p>It was painful to hear her describe his brother in that way. She had a point, though… Sergio had always been aware that Andrés had some serious flaws, but he was only now beginning to realize that his brother may not have shown the worst parts of his personality around him – either that, or he’d been blind to them.</p><p>“I’ve always known he’s rather… unemotional, yes”, he admitted.</p><p>“Then why did you put him in charge?”</p><p>“I thought it would be an advantage. Berlin stays calm no matter the circumstances. We needed someone with a cool head in charge.”</p><p>“I agree, but there are people who can keep a cool head and still be humane. This is an operation where a lot of people are put in a vulnerable position. You should have put someone in charge who wouldn’t abuse their power over them. If you’ve known Berlin for so long, you should have known that he’s not that person. Why did you put him in charge, Sergio?”</p><p>He shifted uneasily under her scrutinizing gaze.</p><p>“I knew he would stay loyal, that he would follow the plan no matter what happened.”</p><p>“He didn’t, though, he ignored your direct orders. Why did you think he would stick to the plan any more than the others?”</p><p>“I have a good reason to trust him.”</p><p>“Care to share it with me?”</p><p>He fidgeted, and she frowned.</p><p>“What are you not telling me?”</p><p>He hesitated, but she was asking him a direct question that he couldn’t really answer without lying. He didn’t want to lie to her.</p><p>“Sergio”, she pressed, “why did you put Berlin in charge?”</p><p>He took a deep breath and pushed his glasses up his nose. He should have told her this a long time ago anyway.</p><p>“Because he’s my brother.”</p><p>She didn’t react immediately, just stared at him.</p><p>“Are you joking?”</p><p>“No.”</p><p>“He… he’s your <em>brother</em>?”</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>“<em>Seriously?”</em></p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>He gave her a few moments to let the new information sink in. Then she asked the inevitable question:</p><p>“Why didn’t you tell me this <em>earlier</em>?”</p><p>He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.</p><p>“I’m not entirely sure. Andrés and I just agreed right from the start that we wouldn’t tell anyone that there was a personal bond between us.”</p><p>“I understand that you didn’t tell me right away, but we’ve been together for <em>weeks </em>now, Sergio! You could have mentioned it!”</p><p>“But if I’d told you that, you would have regarded him differently. It would have automatically created a personal relationship between the two of you, and I wanted to minimize those.”</p><p>She raised her eyebrows. “Really, still? Even after you and me…”</p><p>“That’s exactly my point!” he said. “You and me, that was bad enough! I didn’t want to create even <em>more </em>personal relationships.”</p><p>“I’m sorry”, she said indignantly, “you and me was <em>bad enough</em>?”</p><p>He scrambled to correct himself:</p><p>“I didn’t mean it that way.”</p><p>She gave him a dark look. “Let’s deal with the Berlin thing first. I still think you could have told me.”</p><p>He nodded. “I understand. But personal relationships can get so terribly messy in an operation like this. Look at what happened with Tokyo on the first day: she shot and almost <em>killed </em>two cops because Rio got hurt and her emotions got the better of her. That’s the kind of thing I wanted to avoid. I couldn’t stop you and me from happening, but your relationship with my brother was something I could control.”</p><p>“So you’ve just been lying to me?”</p><p>“I never lied”, he said quickly. “I just didn’t correct you when you called him my ‘friend’.”</p><p>“That’s a very thin line”, she grumbled. “Were you <em>ever </em>planning to tell me?”</p><p>“Of course I was. Just… after this was all over.”</p><p>He saw comprehension dawn on her face.</p><p>“Oh! So <em>that’s </em>why he’s coming with us to Palawan!”</p><p>“Yes”, he nodded.</p><p>Her expression suddenly became more sober. “Then… you know he’s dying?”</p><p>He looked at her in surprise. “Yes, I know. How do <em>you </em>know?”</p><p>“He told me last night when we were talking. Honestly, I couldn’t feel very sorry for him after what he did yesterday, but if he’s your brother… Sergio, I’m sorry…”</p><p>He raised his hand with a pained expression. “Please don’t.”</p><p>“Do you want to talk about it?”</p><p>“I really don’t. This isn’t the right time, we’re in the middle of a vast operation, I don’t want to think about… <em>that…</em> now.”</p><p>She nodded. “I understand.”</p><p>She put her hand on his arm for a moment and squeezed, and he shot her a grateful look. Then she leaned back in her chair and raised her eyebrows at him.</p><p>“So. Do you have any other family members on the team that I should know about? Is Rio actually your son? Are you secretly married to Tokyo?”</p><p>“Well”, he said, “now that you mention it…”</p><p>She looked so alarmed that he chuckled and quickly amended:</p><p>“That was a joke, I’m joking! No more hidden family members, I promise.”</p><p>On the radio, they heard Angel and Elena start talking again, so they quickly fell silent and listened.</p><p>“Are you going to call him?” Angel asked.</p><p>“Not yet”, Elena said. “I’d rather he call me.”</p><p>“Why?”</p><p>“Because the person who initiates the call is automatically in a weaker position.”</p><p>Sergio nodded in agreement.</p><p>Elena continued: “I’ll call him if he hasn’t called us by eleven.”</p><p>“Good to know”, Sergio said. “Then let’s make sure not to call her before eleven.”</p><p>Raquel got up to stretch her legs while Sergio idly flipped through the different images from the cameras inside the Mint, watching the presses roll, the hostages at work or resting. Finally he reached the camera in the breakroom… and he froze. It couldn’t be.</p><p>“Raquel…” he said, keeping his eyes on the screen. “<em>Raquel</em>!”</p><p>“What’s wrong?” she said, hurrying up to him.</p><p>When she saw the screen, she stopped dead.</p><p>“Oh!” she said. “But… that can’t be?”</p><p>And yet there she was, no doubt about it – her face would forever be imprinted on Sergio’s memory. Mónica Gaztambide. Alive. <em>Alive</em>.</p><p>He turned to Raquel in disbelief, and he saw his own confusion mirrored in her face.</p><p>“Well, <em>call them</em>”, she urged him, and he quickly picked up the phone as she reached for her headset.</p><p>Berlin answered.</p><p>“Berlin”, he said. “What… when… <em>how</em>?”</p><p>“I know”, his brother said, grinning. “It’s been quite a journey for me too.”</p><p>“How is this possible?” Raquel said.</p><p>“Denver disobeyed my order. He hid her in one of the vaults.”</p><p>It was beginning to sink in for Sergio, he was beginning to realize what this meant – they were saved, the operation could continue, <em>he wasn’t a killer</em>. He felt so relieved that it made him dizzy.</p><p>“Let me talk to her”, he heard Raquel say, and the next moment, Mónica’s voice was in his ear, sounding a little scared but alive, <em>alive</em>.</p><p>“Hello?”</p><p>“Say your name”, they heard Berlin say next to her.</p><p>“Mónica Gaztambide.”</p><p>“I’m so glad to see you’re alive, Mónica”, Raquel said. “Are you alright?”</p><p>“Yes”, she said.</p><p>“Are you hurt in any way?”</p><p>“My leg. I got shot.”</p><p>“Do you need a doctor?” Raquel asked urgently, but on the screen, Mónica was shaking her head.</p><p>“Denver took care of me.”</p><p>Sergio finally found his voice again. “Put Denver on the phone, please.”</p><p>Mónica handed the phone to Denver.</p><p>“Did you get the bullet out?” Sergio asked immediately.</p><p>“Nairobi did.”</p><p>“Good”, Sergio said, relieved. He didn’t think Denver could have done a particularly good job. “Did she suture the wound the way I taught you?”</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>“Is there any sign of infection?”</p><p>“No, I don’t think so.”</p><p>“If you see any redness or swelling”, Sergio said, “you call me immediately, understood?”</p><p>Denver nodded. “I will, but we used a lot of disinfectant and I’m changing the bandages regularly.”</p><p>“Good”, Sergio said. He wasn’t about to lose her to gangrene now.</p><p>“Denver”, Raquel said next to him, her voice soft. “You saved her.”</p><p>On the screen, Denver looked rather embarrassed. “Yeah, well, I couldn’t… I couldn’t just shoot her.”</p><p>“Well done”, Raquel said. “Really, Denver, well done.”</p><p>“Thanks”, he mumbled, then handed the phone back to Berlin.</p><p>“So”, Berlin said, coming straight to the point. “How about my punishment?”</p><p>“I’ve set things in motion”, Sergio said coolly.</p><p>“Can you undo them?”</p><p>Sergio frowned. “I could, but I’m not sure I should. As far as I can see, she’s not alive because of you. You still disobeyed me.”</p><p>“And I’ve learned my lesson”, Berlin said. “Lisbon and I had an interesting heart-to-heart yesterday, and she… <em>persuaded </em>me that it’s not in my best interest to disobey you again.”</p><p>Sergio shot a sideways look at Raquel. What the <em>hell </em>had she said to him? She shrugged, and Sergio turned back to his brother.</p><p>“I’ll consider it”, he said, then hung up.</p><p>On the screen, they watched Oslo carry Mónica out of the room, then they turned to each other. Her eyes were shining and she was grinning broadly, and he swept her into his arms and lifted her off the ground to spin her around, both of them laughing.</p><p>“Oh, this is <em>amazing</em>”, she said, taking his face between her hands and kissing him over and over again. “Just <em>amazing</em>!”</p><p>He couldn’t stop grinning as he put her back down, the entire world seeming brighter, a heavy weight lifted off his shoulders. An electric, buzzing kind of energy was filling him, begging to be released, making him feel hyper and a little reckless. He looked at her, so beautiful, her dark eyes radiant, her smile lighting up the entire room, and he remembered how she’d been there for him yesterday. Suddenly, he wanted nothing more than to pull her close and kiss her until she was breathless, to take her to the bed and push her down into the pillows, to take off her clothes and bury his face between her thighs and make her come over and over and over again…</p><p>She caught the look in his eyes and raised her eyebrows.</p><p>“Sergio”, she said warningly. “We can’t.”</p><p>He stepped closer to her, and she quickly took a step back, grinning.</p><p>“No, we <em>can’t</em>!”</p><p>“But I want to”, he whispered. “I want to so badly.”</p><p>“It’s almost eleven though!”</p><p>“So?”</p><p>“The Inspector will be calling us then”, she reminded him.</p><p>“Do you think she’ll call at eleven exactly?”</p><p>She laughed. “I’m not risking it! She already interrupted us yesterday – if she does it again, I may just have to kill her.”</p><p>He grinned.</p><p>“Can we at least kiss until then?” he asked. “I feel like we should celebrate.”</p><p>She was still hesitant. “I don’t know, Sergio, do we really want to start something we can’t finish?”</p><p>He reached out, caught her wrist and pulled her close so he could whisper in her ear:</p><p>“Let me finish it then…”</p><p>He pressed her close to him with one hand on her lower back, using his other hand to push her hair back so he could brush his lips against her neck.</p><p>“Sergio…” she protested weakly. “We… we really only have a few minutes.”</p><p>“I don’t think I need more than a few minutes”, he murmured, running his fingers down her spine to make her shiver.</p><p>She gasped as he spun her around so her back was pressed to him, then he felt her melt against him as he started kissing her neck.</p><p>“I know what you like”, he rumbled with his lips against her skin. “It won’t take long.”</p><p>He cupped both of her breasts and stroked her nipples with his thumbs until they hardened, then he squeezed them and she moaned softly.</p><p>“Don’t…” she breathed. “We really shouldn’t…”</p><p>He moved one hand down to press it between her legs, hard, and she gasped.</p><p>“Give me five minutes”, he whispered. “And I can make you come so hard…”</p><p>She shivered, but tried again: “What about our agreement though? No sex during the heist…”</p><p>“This doesn’t count”, he smiled. “Let’s call it a loophole.”</p><p>She groaned as he unbuttoned her pants and slipped his hand inside her underwear. When he touched her, a shudder went through her and she closed her eyes as her breathing quickened.</p><p>“You’re already wet”, he said softly. “Let me make you come…”</p><p>“The phone though…”, she whispered, but it was a very weak protest by now, and she pressed herself back against him.</p><p>“Let’s not lose any more time then”, he said firmly, then turned her around and pressed her against the desk as he kissed her deeply.</p><p>She was beyond resisting as he kissed her neck, then made his way down her body, pausing for a moment to nip at her nipples through the fabric of her shirt. Then he went down on his knees in worship, pushing up her top to kiss her stomach before pulling down her pants and underwear so she could step out of them.</p><p>“Spread your legs”, he murmured and she obeyed him, a little breathless with anticipation.</p><p>He lost no more time and pressed his mouth to her, and she leaned back against the desk with a sigh, one hand behind her for support, the other in his hair. His tongue quickly found the right spot and soon she was leaning her head back and moaning, and he was enjoying every second of it, the taste of her, the sounds she was making, her fingers churning in his hair… and then the phone rang.</p><p>She jumped and cursed loudly, giving him a sharp tap on the top of his head.</p><p>“Goddammit Sergio, I <em>told </em>you!”</p><p>He looked up. “Fuck it. Let it ring.”</p><p>“What? But the Inspector…”</p><p>“Let her wait. She’ll call back.”</p><p>“But…”</p><p>The next moment though, he’d pressed his mouth back against her and she was rendered speechless. After a few more rings, the phone fell quiet and as he focused on his task with renewed enthusiasm, he soon had her moaning again. Like he’d predicted, it only took a few minutes before she tensed, and he picked up the pace as she arched her back, her breathing fast and uneven, her fingers gripping his hair so tightly it was almost painful, but he didn’t mind in the slightest as she suddenly started trembling, then threw her head back with a sharp cry as the wave broke over her. He knew just how to make it last, keeping up exactly what he was doing, making her utter several more cries as the feeling just kept going. Then he eased off gradually to draw out her pleasure as she shuddered through the aftershocks.</p><p>He withdrew to look at her – she was leaning back on the desk, her head tilted back, her hair streaming down, eyes closed, breathing hard. What a sight.</p><p>“Oh”, she whispered. “<em>Oh</em>, that was good.”</p><p>She lifted her head to look down at him, her eyes sparkling, and he grinned at her.</p><p>“What did I say? Five minutes, tops.”</p><p>“Thank you for not picking up that phone when it rang.”</p><p>His grin broadened as he got up. “I’m not tired of living yet. Besides, it’s not a bad thing to not answer every once in a while. Let her think I’m busy doing other things instead of just sitting by the phone waiting for her to call me.”</p><p>She shot him an amused look as she got dressed again. “You sound like you’re dating her and trying not to look too eager.”</p><p>He nodded. “The dynamics are quite similar, yes.”</p><p>She buttoned up her pants, then came to wrap her arms around his neck.</p><p>“Well, thank you anyway.”</p><p>“My pleasure”, he murmured, pressing a kiss against her lips.</p><p>When the phone started ringing again, they broke apart, and he felt a little dazed as he sat down in his chair. He took deep breaths, needing a few moments to collect himself and get his mind on the heist again. Finally, he felt the Professor materialize – calm, confident, focused – and he was ready. Raquel put on her headset as he picked up the phone.</p><p>“Good morning Inspector.”</p><p>“How is Mr. Román after his operation?”</p><p>“No, no, no”, Sergio said, shaking his head. “That’s no way to start a conversation. I thought we were becoming friends, Inspector, and now you don’t even say good morning?”</p><p>“You need to get your priorities straight, Professor. A man nearly <em>died</em> yesterday. I’ll give you a good morning <em>after </em>you’ve told me how he is.”</p><p>“He’s fine”, Sergio said. “He’s recovering well, and he has no fever.”</p><p>“Glad to hear it”, Elena said. “Good morning, Professor.”</p><p>Sergio smiled. “You’re calling rather late today, Inspector. I thought you’d forgotten about me.”</p><p>“I wish I could, but it’s rather hard to forget about you.”</p><p>“That’s interesting to hear. Do you think you’ll still think about me even after this is all over?”</p><p>“Sure”, she said, and he could hear a slight smile in her voice. “I’ll come visit you in prison.”</p><p>He chuckled. “That’s very kind of you. But I think I’ll choose someplace more exotic to spend the rest of my days.”</p><p>“We’ll see about that”, she said crisply.</p><p>He grinned broadly and was about to make a clever retort, but next to him, Raquel rolled her eyes and motioned at him to move things along, so he cleared his throat and came to business.</p><p>“Why are you calling me, Inspector?”</p><p>“I’m afraid I have some bad news. They’re taking me off the case.”</p><p>He froze.</p><p>“It’s been too long and we’re at a stalemate”, Elena continued. “My superiors are starting to doubt whether I’m the best person for this job.”</p><p>Sergio glanced sideways at Raquel, who was frowning.</p><p>“I think you want to keep negotiating with me, though”, Elena said. “After all, we’re becoming friends, right?”</p><p>“We are”, Sergio said. “I’m glad you think so too.”</p><p>“Then you’re going to have to give me something, so <em>I </em>can give my superiors something.”</p><p>“What did you have in mind?”</p><p>“Let some hostages go. Eleven hostages: ten minors and the pregnant woman.”</p><p>“That’s a lot of hostages.”</p><p>“You’ll still have plenty left. You can afford to let some of them go.”</p><p>“And if I don’t?”</p><p>“Then another Inspector will take over the case, and they may not be quite as… friendly. I’ll give you an hour to think about it.”</p><p>She put down the phone, and Sergio turned to Raquel, dismayed.</p><p>“I don’t want to start over with a new Inspector”, he said.</p><p>Raquel was still frowning. Finally she said:</p><p>“She’s bluffing.”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“It’s a strategy, she’s playing you. I would do the same thing if I were in her shoes and I’d gone so long without any progress. Try to force a concession out of you somehow.”</p><p>Sergio hesitated. “What if she’s telling the truth, though?”</p><p>Raquel shrugged. “Then we get a different negotiator.”</p><p>“I don’t want that!” Sergio said. “I’m just getting a good sense of Elena, a new person would be a blank slate again.”</p><p>Raquel narrowed her eyes at him. “You just want to keep Elena because you’ve started this game with her and now you want to see if you can beat her.”</p><p>“That’s not true”, he said defensively. “I just think she’s a reasonable and level-headed person and who knows who they’d replace her with?”</p><p>“Does it matter?”</p><p>“Yes!” he said. “Didn’t you say if things got really bad they’d bring in Alicia Sierra?”</p><p>Raquel frowned. “Well… only if things got <em>really </em>bad. I don’t think Alicia would be their first choice.”</p><p>“Are we willing to risk it, though?”</p><p>She was shaking her head. “I’m telling you, Sergio, she’s bluffing!”</p><p>“But <em>are we willing to risk it</em>?”</p><p>She sighed. “Fine. I suppose not. So what do you propose?”</p><p>“I think we should free those eleven hostages. It will be a sign of goodwill on our part, and it will take the pressure off for a while.”</p><p>“That’s true”, she conceded. “Releasing these hostages would keep them happy for a while, perhaps even days. And they would lose a lot of time questioning the freed hostages. But do you think we can afford to release them? They will tell the police everything they know.”</p><p>“They can only tell them that we’re printing money, which the police already know, and give them information about the fake tunnel we’re digging towards the sewers.”</p><p>“How about describing the members of the team?”</p><p>Sergio shook his head. “Composite pictures are always terribly inaccurate, and every person will give a slightly different description. The police won’t be able to identify anyone that way.”</p><p> “Alright”, Raquel sighed. “Then I’ll look up a list of the names of the minors. Call her back and let her know we’ll let them go.”</p><p>Sergio picked up the phone and took a deep breath to make the Professor manifest again. Once he felt calm and in control, he called the command center. Elena picked up immediately.</p><p>“Have you made a decision already?”</p><p>“Yes”, Sergio said. “We’ve decided to comply with your request. We’ll let the pregnant woman go, and the following minors.”</p><p>He gave her a list of names, and she replied:</p><p>“What about Alison Parker?”</p><p>Sergio shook his head. “I think by now you’ve realized, Inspector, that we both know that Alison Parker is a queen of hearts in this house of cards. We’re not letting her go.”</p><p>“Then our deal is off”, the Inspector replied immediately.</p><p>Sergio’s mind was working fast – there had to be a way to take advantage of their eagerness to get Alison out. He felt the presence of the Professor more strongly than ever as he was suddenly struck by an idea. He leaned forward and was careful not to let the excitement he felt come through in his voice.</p><p>“Listen, Inspector, I have a proposition for you. Alison in exchange for the other eleven.”</p><p>Next to him, Raquel’s eyebrows went up.</p><p>“What do you mean?” Elena said.</p><p>“I’ll give you Alison Parker”, Sergio said, “but nobody else. We both know how important she is, both to you and to me. So if you want her to be released, she’ll be released alone.”</p><p>There was a moment of silence on the other side of the line. Then the Inspector said:</p><p>“I need to consult my superiors.”</p><p>“You have five minutes”, Sergio said, and put down the phone.</p><p>“What are you doing?” Raquel said immediately. “We can’t give up Alison!”</p><p>But Sergio was shushing her and turning up the volume of the transmission they were getting from Angel’s bug.</p><p>“Call him back”, they heard the voice of the person they’d identified as Colonel Prieto. “Tell him yes, to let Parker go.”</p><p>“I will do no such thing”, Elena said. “We’re not choosing one person over eleven others, including a pregnant woman.”</p><p>“I don’t care about ethics here”, Prieto said. “This is a state matter, and the first thing we’ll do is save the daughter of the ambassador. Call him back!”</p><p>“No”, Elena said softly. “No, he’s playing us.”</p><p>“What?” Prieto said.</p><p>“Give me a minute to think!”</p><p>There was silence on the other end, and Sergio waited with bated breath.</p><p>“Well?!” Prieto finally prompted.</p><p>“We’re not accepting his offer”, Elena said firmly. “Because it isn’t a real offer. Think about it, Colonel! If you were in his shoes, would you <em>ever </em>let Parker go, under any circumstances?”</p><p>“He was prepared to let the others go!”</p><p>“The others, yes, but not <em>her</em>. The very fact that he’s offering it… it must be a trap.”</p><p>“A trap? How?”</p><p>“Oh!” Elena said suddenly. “Of course! He told me yesterday that he’s recording every conversation.”</p><p>Sergio gave Raquel a sharp look, but the Inspector was still talking:</p><p>“If we now choose to trade Parker for the other eleven, he could use that against us. He might leak the recording to the media. How will we look <em>then</em>, Colonel?”</p><p>“I don’t care how it looks, I want that girl freed!”</p><p>“But he’ll never free her, don’t you see? He’ll make us look bad and then go back on his promise!”</p><p>“Was that your plan?” Raquel asked quietly beside him, and he nodded, cursing silently that Elena had figured it out. It might still work, though, if Prieto forced the Inspector’s hand. And sure enough…</p><p>“I’m willing to risk it”, Prieto’s voice came over the radio. “He might actually let her go, we have to try.”</p><p>“He won’t let her go, Colonel, I’m telling you”, Elena said heatedly. “He’ll just score another victory over us.”</p><p>“Inspector”, Prieto said angrily, “you’ll do as I say.”</p><p>“I will not”, Elena said coldly. “I know how this guy thinks, and I <em>refuse </em>to walk into his trap with my eyes open. This is my <em>job, </em>I know what I’m doing!”</p><p>“Inspector”, Prieto started, but Elena firmly cut him off.</p><p>“<em>No</em>, Colonel. I’m telling you: either we save eleven hostages or we save <em>none</em>. I choose the first option.”</p><p>“I’ll have you fired over this”, Prieto threatened.</p><p>“You do what you have to do”, she replied coolly.</p><p>Suddenly, their phone was ringing again. Sergio picked up.</p><p>“I don’t accept your trade”, Elena’s voice said in his ear. “I want the eleven hostages we agreed upon earlier. Let them go.”</p><p>Sergio’s mind was racing, but he could see no way out. If he refused to let the hostages go now, Prieto would certainly have Elena fired. In fact, she might get fired anyway, and he could not let that happen.</p><p>“Good choice”, he said. “I wouldn’t have let Miss Parker go anyway.”</p><p>There was just a hint of triumph in Elena’s voice when she said: “I didn’t think so.”</p><p>“The hostages will be released at two o’clock.”</p><p>“Thank you”, she said succinctly, then hung up on him.</p><p>He put down the phone and turned to Raquel, his jaw tight.</p><p>“You <em>told them</em> we were recording them when you talked to her yesterday?”</p><p>“Yes”, she said defensively. “I didn’t have any choice, Sergio, she wouldn’t give us the medical team to save Román.”</p><p>“My strategy <em>almost </em>worked”, he said, his voice carefully controlled. “We <em>almost </em>didn’t have to give up <em>any </em>hostages, and we could have discredited the police at the same time. It would have been a big win for us. Instead, we have to let eleven hostages go.”</p><p>“I don’t regret my choice”, she said. “A man was bleeding out and she wanted a hostage in return for sending in the medical team. I couldn’t make that decision without consulting you, so I had to play a different card.”</p><p>“You could have tried harder not to play any of our cards at all!”</p><p>“Oh”, she said indignantly. “You think <em>you </em>could have done better?”</p><p>“I think I could have, yes”, he said coldly.</p><p>“Don’t flatter yourself”, she snapped. “You can barely keep up with Elena.”</p><p>“That’s exactly why I don’t want you to talk to her!” he said. “If <em>I </em>can barely keep up with her, <em>you </em>certainly can’t!”</p><p>She looked deeply offended and opened her mouth to say something angry in return, but then she suddenly stopped and shook her head.</p><p>“I’m not talking to you when you’re like this”, she said.</p><p>“Like what?”</p><p>“You’re still the Professor”, she said. “And the Professor is an asshole. You can come and apologize to me when you snap out of it.”</p><p>And she got up and walked away from him.</p><p>…</p><p>He came to her, as she’d known he would, after fifteen minutes, a contrite expression on his face.</p><p>“I’m sorry.”</p><p>She nodded, but didn’t say anything, so he sat down next to her at the table and continued.</p><p>“I get so caught up in all of this…” he said, running a hand through his hair. “I… I sort of lose myself.”</p><p>“I don’t think you do”, she said. “You’re the Professor as much as you are Sergio.”</p><p>“I suppose”, he sighed.</p><p>“That’s not a bad thing”, she continued, more gently now. “You need to be the Professor when you’re dealing with the operation.”</p><p>He nodded. “I do. I need that side of myself to keep a handle on things.”</p><p>“I understand. But you can’t be that person with me, Sergio. You become cold and distant and unpleasant, and I don’t like it.”</p><p>“I’m sorry”, he said. “I can’t help myself.”</p><p>She considered him. “To a certain extent, I accept that. I don’t expect hugs or sweet words from you when you’re the Professor, I understand that you’re not capable of affection when you’re that focused. But you can still watch your words, you can still show me consideration. The Professor doesn’t excuse just any bad behavior towards me. I accept that you’re a little different then, but you’re still <em>you</em>, and responsible for your own behavior. I don’t care who you are or how you’re feeling – you’re allowed to disagree with me, you’re allowed to argue, but the least you can do is treat me with respect.”</p><p>He shifted uncomfortably. “Yes, of course you’re right.” He looked up at her anxiously. “Raquel, I’m afraid at some point I might say something really bad, something that will hurt you. I just want to apologize in advance if…”</p><p>“Oh no”, she said, raising her eyebrows. “You’re not getting absolution in advance for treating me like an asshole. You’re aware of the issue now, so from now on, think twice about what you say to me when you’re the Professor.”</p><p>He grimaced. “I might still say something hurtful.”</p><p>“Then you can apologize for it <em>then</em>.”</p><p>He sighed. “I’m sorry I implied earlier that I could have handled yesterday’s situation better. I listened to the recording of your conversation with Elena, and you’re right. It was a difficult situation and you made the right decision.”</p><p>She felt the release of a tension she hadn’t really been aware of. She’d <em>known</em>, objectively, that she’d handled the situation as well as she could have under the circumstances, but some part of her had still wondered if maybe Sergio <em>could </em>have done better. She realized that his approval meant a lot to her.</p><p>“Thank you.”</p><p>He nodded. “I shouldn’t have doubted you. You’re a trained negotiator, you knew what you were doing.”</p><p>She sighed. “I’m sorry it cost you your strategy, earlier. It was a good strategy, it would have been nice if it had worked.”</p><p>“It <em>should </em>have worked”, he said, clearly frustrated. “If only Elena hadn’t figured it out.”</p><p>Raquel suddenly realized something. “You’re too similar.”</p><p>“What do you mean?”</p><p>“Your minds work in the same way. That’s why she seems to see right through you.”</p><p>He nodded thoughtfully. “I think you’re right. I need to meet with her again.”</p><p>She frowned. “Sergio…”</p><p>“I need to get an edge over her somehow! She’s blocking me at every turn, I need <em>something</em>.”</p><p>She almost said something, but she didn’t want to have another argument, so she swallowed the words and bit her tongue. He noticed, though.</p><p>“I know you don’t agree with me seeing her, but do you remember when we practiced negotiations back at the house? The better I got to know you, the better it went.”</p><p>She raised her eyebrows. “We were sleeping together though. What are you proposing, exactly?”</p><p>He waved a hand, seemingly oblivious. “That’s not the main thing. In the <em>Art of War</em>, Sun Tzu says: ‘If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat.’ That’s what’s happening now. For every victory we score, we also suffer a defeat, because we don’t know our enemy. I have to see her again.”</p><p>She wisely kept her mouth shut. If he was quoting Sun Tzu, nothing <em>she </em>could say would persuade him otherwise. There was something else that bothered her though.</p><p>“Sergio”, she started, a little hesitantly. She wasn’t sure if she really wanted to hear what he was going to say, but she needed to know. “About what you said earlier, that what happened between you and me was ‘bad enough’…”</p><p>He grimaced. “That was a poor choice of words. I really didn’t mean it that way.”</p><p>She shot him a look. “Tell me something, though. If you could have made a <em>choice </em>about ‘you and me’… would you have chosen for it to happen?”</p><p>“Before the fact? No”, he said. Then he saw her face, and quickly hastened to explain further. “Because I had no idea of what it would be like! I had no frame of reference at all, remember. But knowing what I know now? Yes, yes of course, Raquel. If I had to do it all over again, I wouldn’t change a thing. If I had to do it a thousand times, I would choose you every time.”</p><p>She felt something inside her soften at his words. “Good. I would hate for you to regret this…”</p><p>“Of course I don’t, Raquel, how could you even think that?” he said, sounding a little desperate. “You… you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me. You’re the best choice I ever made. I will never regret that, <em>never</em>.”</p><p>She gave him a soft look and shifted her chair closer to his, then leaned in to kiss him. He cupped her cheek as he softly brushed his lips against hers. Their kisses were a little tentative at first – she felt like she needed to find him again, unwrap him from his many layers to access the part of him that she needed right now. Then suddenly something clicked and he was hers again – she felt it in everything: the way he leaned in to her, the way he kissed her more deeply, the way his hand disappeared into her hair. The next moment, he pulled her into his lap and his arms closed around her as she kissed him hungrily.</p><p>Their limited time together worried and frustrated her. These past few days had been generally stressful, and the heist posed new challenges to their relationship, confronting them with issues and parts of themselves that hadn’t been a problem during their time in Toledo. And just now that they needed it the most, almost all intimacy had become impossible: they couldn’t sleep next to each other anymore, they barely touched, they didn’t even really have time to talk anymore now that the bug in Angel’s glasses was constantly transmitting potentially crucial information. And not having sex was… harder than she’d thought it would be. It had seemed such a logical thing to agree on before the heist, just common sense, really: of course the screens had to be manned at all times. But after their fight, she desperately needed to be close to him now, they needed a way to reconnect, to come back to each other, just for a little while, a few blessed minutes away from the screens and the pressures of the operation.</p><p>To her immense relief, he seemed to feel the same way, because he whispered against her lips:</p><p>“I’m taking you to bed.”</p><p>She didn’t argue this time, and she wrapped her arms around his neck and kept kissing him as he lifted her and carried her to the bed, where he put her down gently and joined her. It was such a relief to have him close, to feel his body on top of hers, to wrap her arms around him as they sank into kiss after kiss after kiss, making up for lost time. When he’d gone down on her before, it had felt so good, and she was certainly not complaining, but really it had only made her hungrier for him. This was what she craved: her body pressed to his, his mouth on hers, her hands under his shirt to feel his skin. Breaking apart for even a second seemed unbearable – neither of them wanted to waste a moment of this precious stolen time – so they kept kissing as they undressed, until they were finally, gloriously, skin to skin for the first time in days, and the bliss of it was so intense it made her entire body tingle.</p><p>His caresses were infinitely tender as he ran his fingers through her hair, brushing down her neck, then he made her shiver as his hand moved lightly down the side of her body, over her hip and thigh. She opened her legs to him and he started stroking the inside of her thighs, slowly moving up and down, his touch light, always stopping right before he touched her where she wanted him, firing up a deep, insistent tingling between her legs, and as he kissed her deeply, she felt such a longing for him that it left her breathless. She opened her legs further, but he didn’t take advantage, and his slow stroking was driving her crazy, until the only thing she could think about was to have him inside her.</p><p>“Sergio”, she breathed. “I want you, I <em>need </em>you.”</p><p>“Are you ready?” he murmured, and she gasped as he finally brushed his fingers against her.</p><p>“Yes”, she whispered. “Yes, yes, <em>yes</em>.”</p><p>He moved his body on top of hers and she reached down to guide him in, inhaling sharply as he entered her. He pressed into her very, very slowly, and she let out a long, low moan of pleasure as she felt him fill her up, inch by delicious inch. When he was deep inside her, he stopped, and they leaned their foreheads together for a few long moments as they held each other close, just connecting. Then he pressed his lips to hers and kissed her deeply as he started taking her with deep, deliberate strokes, pushing in his entire length every time, making her moan against his lips. Then his mouth sought out the sensitive spots on the side of her neck, and she sighed with pleasure and buried her fingers in his hair as he kissed her there. It had only been a few days, but <em>oh, </em>how she’d missed being this close to him, how she’d missed his mouth on her skin, his arms around her. She wrapped her legs around him and he groaned as she pulled him even deeper, unable to get enough of him as he filled her again and again and again.</p><p>He suddenly withdrew, breathing rather fast, and whispered:</p><p>“Turn around.”</p><p>She turned onto her side and when he came to lie close behind her, she fitted her body against his as he gathered her in his arms and held her tight. He entered her again and it still felt <em>so good</em>, and now his hands were free to touch her where she wanted to be touched. She sighed in satisfaction as he moved his fingers between her legs and started stroking her, and soon she was moaning with every breath, pressing her hips back against him each time he thrust in. He picked up the pace, and it didn’t take long before she felt the tension inside her build to an almost unbearable pitch, and when she tensed, he used his free hand to pinch her nipple and that sent her straight over the edge. The feeling was so strong that it took her breath away, and she could only gasp as wave after wave of pleasure washed over her, leaving her helpless and trembling in his arms. A moment later, he tensed behind her and buried his face in her hair as he pushed in one, two, three more times, then groaned softly as he came deep inside her.</p><p>They lay without moving for several long moments, catching their breath, basking in the afterglow, and for the first time since the heist began, she felt truly connected to him again. For a few minutes, he hadn’t been thinking about hostages or money or the Inspector – for a few minutes, he’d left the Professor far behind and just been Sergio – for a few minutes, they had been able to recreate the beautiful, intimate little bubble that had been theirs in Toledo, and she was so grateful. Beneath the friction and the arguments and the tension, they were still <em>them</em>, unchangeable, inseparable, eternal, no matter what life would throw at them. She sensed that the next few days wouldn’t be easy for them, though, so she tried to capture the feeling she had <em>right now</em> – something to hold onto when the going got rough, when he pulled away from her again, when the Professor took over.</p><p>He stirred behind her and tightened his arms around her as he kissed her neck.</p><p>“Well”, she smiled, “so much for our agreement that we wouldn’t have sex.”</p><p>He chuckled. “We didn’t even make it three days. I should have known, though. You can’t keep your hands off me.”</p><p>She laughed and turned around to kiss him. “So true. I’m sorry I made you break your own rules… again.”</p><p>“I just can’t help myself around you”, he sighed. “But I suppose it couldn’t hurt… just this once.”</p><p>“Yes”, she nodded. “Just this once.”</p><p>They kissed again, then she said:</p><p>“I suppose we should get back to the screens.”</p><p>“Yes,” he said, rather sadly. “I suppose we should.”</p><p>Neither of them moved to get out of bed, however, unwilling to break the spell of their togetherness, knowing it would plunge them back into reality, knowing it would be a while before they got another moment like this. So they held each other close, sharing soft kisses and even softer touches, ignoring the seconds that were ticking away. <em>Just one more minute</em>, they kept whispering to each other. <em>Just one more minute with you.</em></p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Fear</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi everyone! I hope you and your loved ones are all safe and healthy, and that your mental health isn't suffering too much because of the situation we're in. Again, I hope my fic can offer you at least a little distraction, especially now that we're counting down to S4!!</p>
<p>I'm not sure I'll post a new chapter next week -- I'm sure everybody will be focused on (re)watching and discussing S4, and on reading post-S4 fic! So maybe it's not the right time to post a new chapter of this fic next Sunday :)</p>
<p>As always, I need to thank my amazing beta readers:</p>
<p>ParijanTaiyou, for her support and enthusiasm! She always manages to make me feel better whenever I have doubts!</p>
<p>And an especially big 'thank you' to thegirloverseas, who provided several (if not most!) of the ideas in this chapter! Thank you for sharing your ideas with me so generously, and discussing them with me in detail! This chapter really wouldn't exist without you.</p>
<p>I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and I wish you strength and courage, both with regards to the current crisis, and with regards to the wait for S4! Let's hope it's everything we've been hoping for and more!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Day 3 – noon</strong>
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<p>It took them a while to get out of bed, but finally they managed it. She felt how they were in sync again as they got dressed, stopping for little touches or kisses between buttons and belts. They sat down in front of the desk together and flipped through the different camera images inside the Mint, but everything seemed under control. Through the radio, they heard the police prepare for the release of the hostages at two o’clock: making sure ambulances were standing by, clearing an interview space, listing questions to ask the freed hostages in order of importance. Finally, they heard Angel say:</p>
<p>“We should eat something before the hostages get here.”</p>
<p>“I’ll go and get us something”, Elena said. “I have to get out of here for a minute. What do you want?”</p>
<p>“A sandwich”, Angel said. “From Benizo’s, maybe?”</p>
<p>Sergio shot Raquel a look. “Do you mind…?”</p>
<p>“What’s your plan?”</p>
<p>“Just to bump into her at the sandwich shop.”</p>
<p>She sighed. “Fine, go.”</p>
<p>There was no stopping him anyway, and she was glad that he at least checked in with her this time. He quickly got up and put on his jacket.</p>
<p>“At least get us some lunch while you’re out”, she said.</p>
<p>“I will”, he said. “I won’t be long.”</p>
<p>He bent down to kiss her, and she grabbed his hair and pressed her lips against his, kissing him deeply, passionately, for several long moments. He looked dazed and a little breathless as he straightened again.</p>
<p>“Oh…” he said, “well… that was… wow.”</p>
<p>She smiled in satisfaction as he pushed his glasses up his nose, shook himself, then walked towards the door, looking over his shoulder at her several times. Let him go meet Elena now – he wouldn’t easily forget her after <em>that </em>kiss.</p>
<p>…</p>
<p>Indeed, Sergio’s thoughts were entirely on Raquel as he walked the few blocks to the sandwich shop, but as soon as he saw Elena come out, his mind snapped back to the heist and he couldn’t help but smile in anticipation as he walked up to her. They’d only met twice before, but she’d been quite friendly, especially the second time, and he was fairly certain that she liked him. There seemed to be a natural understanding between them, and Sergio hoped he’d be able to exploit that connection.</p>
<p>“Oh”, she said as she spotted him. “Hello, Salva.”</p>
<p>“Hi, Elena.”</p>
<p>“What a coincidence to run into you again.”</p>
<p>He shrugged. “Not really, I told you my brewery is only just around the corner, so I always get lunch either here or at Hanoi. How are things going with the hostage situation?”</p>
<p>She smiled. “Good.” She hesitated, but she seemed too excited to keep quiet. “You’ll hear this on the news soon anyway: at two o’clock, eleven of the hostages will be freed.”</p>
<p>“That’s great!” he said. “Well done!”</p>
<p>She waved his compliment away. “There will still be more than fifty inside, but at least it’s progress. Sorry Salva, I really don’t have time to chat now, we have to prepare.”</p>
<p>“I understand”, he nodded, then eyed her carefully as she walked away. She seemed to be in a very good mood – he decided to take a risk.</p>
<p>“Elena!” he called after her, and she turned. “Do you… do you want to get a drink tonight? To celebrate?”</p>
<p>She considered him for a moment. “I’m not sure at what time I can get off work. But you can come by the tent around nine and see if I’m free.”</p>
<p>“Alright”, he said eagerly. “I’ll see you tonight then.”</p>
<p>He smiled broadly as he turned and walked back to the hangar. This was <em>excellent</em> – if she joined him for drinks, they’d have at least an hour to talk. He was already looking forward to the conversation: no matter how it went, he knew it would be fascinating. And on top of that, she’d invited him to come by the tent – if he asked for her, maybe they’d even let him inside. His heart started beating faster at the very thought of being right inside the lion’s den without them suspecting anything.</p>
<p>When he got back to the control room, Raquel frowned at him.</p>
<p>“Where’s the food?”</p>
<p>“Oh!” he said. “I totally forgot.”</p>
<p>She rolled her eyes. “Well, go back and get it, then.”</p>
<p>“I will, I’m sorry.”</p>
<p>“Did you talk to her?”</p>
<p>“Yes”, he said, “but only for a moment.”</p>
<p>“Well”, she shrugged, “better luck next time.”</p>
<p>He hesitated, but decided not to tell her about his planned drink that evening. Even though she’d agreed before to him bumping into Elena at the sandwich shop, he doubted that she would approve of him spending an entire evening with her, and after the closeness they’d just shared, he really didn’t want another fight. He’d tell her later. He felt like he’d made the right decision when he came back with two sandwiches and they ate them companionably in front of the screens. The police were still busy preparing for the release of the hostages, so they could talk, and she was clearly in a good mood, teasing him, making him laugh, often leaning in for a kiss.</p>
<p>After lunch, he turned to her with a more serious expression.</p>
<p>“What do you think I should do about Berlin?”</p>
<p>She frowned. “I’ve been thinking about that too. Do you want to go back to Toledo and remove his DNA from the house?”</p>
<p>“I’m not sure”, he mused. “Even if Mónica didn’t die, Berlin still disobeyed my orders. I feel like there should be consequences.”</p>
<p>“Revealing his identity is quite serious, though. And, well, he’s your <em>brother</em>. Apparently.”</p>
<p>“Yes. I don’t <em>want </em>to punish him. I never did, but he forced my hand.”</p>
<p>“I think he was just testing the limits he could go to. I don’t think he’ll do that again – the conversation I had with him yesterday should keep him in line.”</p>
<p>He eyed her carefully. “What did you <em>say </em>to him?”</p>
<p>She waved the question away . “It doesn’t matter. And another thing, Sergio. If the police know his identity, it will make it harder for Berlin to get out of the country – and if he’ll be traveling with us, that puts us at risk too.”</p>
<p>He nodded. “That decides it then. I’ll go back to Toledo to remove his DNA.”</p>
<p>“I think that would be best, yes.”</p>
<p>They waited until two o’clock, when the hostages were released without incident. Then Sergio left Raquel to listen to the police interviewing the hostages, while he got on his bike and drove back to Toledo.</p>
<p>…</p>
<p>For the first hour, Raquel listened intently to the questions Elena and Angel were asking the released hostages, but after a while they became quite repetitive and she had time to think things over for the first time all day. She smiled as she savored again the revelation that Mónica was still alive, and on top of that, Román seemed to be recovering well from his surgery. She allowed herself to hope – very, very carefully – that perhaps they’d be able to limit the human cost of this operation after all. Yesterday had been a terrible day, but today things were looking up again. She let her mind wander back to the other big revelation of the day, and she shook her head. She still couldn’t quite believe that Sergio and Berlin were brothers – they were such different people. But now that she really thought about it, she realized she should have seen the signs: he was close to Berlin in a way he wasn’t with anyone else – even admitting to her that he’d asked him for romantic advice – and why else would he have wanted Berlin to come live with them on Palawan? She was still a bit annoyed that Sergio hadn’t told her sooner, but he was so rigid sometimes, his rules so important to him, so she tried not to be too bothered. He was just a bit unusual, his mind working in ways that often differed so starkly from hers. She knew she had to accept that about him, and she was perfectly prepared to do that.</p>
<p>She remembered what Berlin had told her yesterday: <em>I’ll be dead within the year. </em>She hadn’t cared that much then: she’d never had any particular fondness for Berlin – sexist, arrogant sociopath that he was – and the distaste she’d always felt for him had only worsened now that she knew that he was capable of killing innocent people just to assert his power over others. And yet, and yet… Sergio must love him. If Berlin was dying, that would be hurting Sergio deeply, and while she didn’t really feel for Berlin, she did feel for Sergio. She wished he would have agreed to talk to her about it, instead of waving her concern away and bottling things up. <em>I’ll be dead within the year</em>, Berlin’s words echoed in her head again. <em>I’ve got myopathy. Genetic, incurable. </em>She’d never heard of myopathy before, but it must be serious. <em>Genetic, incurable</em>. Suddenly, she froze. Wait… <em>wait</em>. Genetic. <em>Berlin is my brother</em>. She felt a terrible realization dawn. Genetic. <em>Genetic</em>. Incurable. <em>Sergio</em>.</p>
<p>She shook her head, her thoughts racing. No, <em>no</em>, he would have told her if he was sick, he would have <em>told </em>her! Yet a small but insistent voice in the back of her mind was saying: <em>would he</em>? After all, he hadn’t told her about Berlin being his brother. What else had he not told her? Suddenly, things were coming back to her, things Sergio had told her over their months together. <em>I was very ill as a child, always in and out of hospitals</em>. Her heart started beating frantically as she remembered how he’d started shaking yesterday when Berlin told him Mónica was dead. Was that a symptom? <em> I would have told you about Berlin after the heist. </em>Had he just been waiting for the right moment? <em>Raquel, if something happens to me… </em>No, she thought, closing her eyes tightly. <em>My life doesn’t matter. </em>No, no, no. And yet, didn’t it make sense? Wasn’t this why he was risking everything in this operation, <em>now</em>? Wasn’t this why he hadn’t told her about Berlin being his brother? Wasn’t this why he had refused to talk about his brother’s illness that morning? <em>This isn’t the right time, we’re in the middle of a vast operation, I don’t want to think about… </em>that<em>… now. </em>Berlin’s words came back to her with a new significance, hitting her like a hammer blow. <em>I’ll be dead within the year</em>.</p>
<p>She hadn’t panicked once during the past few days, but she was panicking now. She had to talk to Sergio, <em>now</em>. With trembling hands, she picked up the phone and dialed his number, holding her breath as it rang, then her heart sank as it went to voicemail. She checked her watch – yes, he was probably already on his way back on the bike, which meant he couldn’t answer his phone. It would take him about an hour to drive back to Madrid – too long, much too long. She put down the phone and immediately picked it back up to call Berlin in the Mint: if Sergio was sick too, his brother would know. The next moment, though, she hesitated. If Sergio really was sick, there was no way Berlin would tell her that – this secret was Sergio’s and only Sergio’s to share, and she was sure Berlin, with his strong sense of honor, would understand and respect that.</p>
<p>She slammed the phone back down and buried her face in her hands. <em>I’ll be dead within the year</em>. It couldn’t be – fate couldn’t be that cruel, to let her find him only to lose him again? But fate had dealt her blow after blow in the past year, and she had no faith left in life’s fairness. She tried telling herself that Sergio might not actually be sick, but she had no idea of what the chances were of both brothers having inherited the same genetic illness. Then she tried telling herself that even if Sergio <em>was </em>sick, he might not be in a critical stage like Berlin was – after all, Berlin was a few years older. But even if they had a few more years together, it wasn’t… it wasn’t <em>enough</em>. She didn’t just want a few more years with him, she wanted decades, she wanted a <em>lifetime</em>.</p>
<p>Over the past few months, she’d tried so, so hard not to think about the future too much. She had tried to take things one day at a time, to enjoy what she could in the moment, because the past year had shown her that fortunes could change in a heartbeat and nothing was certain – especially not their future after the dangerous, unpredictable operation they were planning. In moments of weakness, she had allowed herself to imagine herself on a beach with him and Paula, but she’d never let her thoughts construct a more elaborate picture of their life after the heist. And yet… now she suddenly realized that, despite her best efforts, she <em>did </em>have expectations, hopes, images of the future, carefully hidden away underneath a layer of conscious repression. Now that that future might be snatched away from them, she suddenly saw it so clearly: living with him in their own house, raising Paula with him, growing old together. She wanted it so desperately, and the thought that they might never have any of it was simply unbearable.</p>
<p>She realized with a sudden, breath-taking clarity how much he meant to her. Of course she’d known that he was important, of course she’d known that she loved him, and that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. But this possible death sentence made her conscious of so much more: that, in a few short months, so much of her world had started to revolve around him, that he was the rock on which she was building her new life, and that his disappearance from her life would leave a hole she would never be able to fill again. She was having trouble breathing as the realization dawned on her: he was the love of her life. And she might lose him.</p>
<p>It was the longest hour of her life, waiting for him to come back. She watched the seconds tick away, simultaneously wanting him to walk through that door as soon as possible, and dreading the moment when her worst fear might become a reality. She tried researching myopathy, but there were so many different kinds that it was impossible to know what symptoms Sergio might develop if he had it. Finally, after a <em>goddamn eternity</em>, the door to the hangar opened and he stepped in. She ran to him.</p>
<p>“What’s wrong?” he said as he saw her face. “What happened?”</p>
<p>“Are you sick?” she said urgently, grabbing his jacket. “Sergio, <em>are you sick</em>?”</p>
<p>“What?” he frowned. “What are you talking about?”</p>
<p>“Berlin!” she said. “He’s sick and he’s your brother!”</p>
<p>“What?”</p>
<p>“He’s your brother!”</p>
<p>He took her by the shoulders. “Okay, calm down and tell me what’s wrong.”</p>
<p>She took a breath. “Berlin told me his illness is genetic, and now you told me he’s your brother. The illness, the myopathy… do you have it too?”</p>
<p>“Oh!” he said, comprehension dawning on his face, and she held her breath as she looked up at him with frightened eyes. Then…</p>
<p>“No”, he said simply, and she felt herself go weak with relief. “No, I don’t have it.”</p>
<p>“Really?”</p>
<p>“Really.”</p>
<p>“You’re not just saying this because we’re in the middle of the operation, right? You’re not waiting until <em>after </em>to tell me?”</p>
<p>“No, Raquel, I swear I don’t have it.”</p>
<p>“So… so you’re not dying?”</p>
<p>He gave her a crooked smile. “I have no immediate plans, no.”</p>
<p>She rushed in and hugged him, hugged him, hugged him, so tightly that he spluttered:</p>
<p>“But that can change very quickly if you don’t let me breathe.”</p>
<p>She didn’t let go of him. Silent tears were streaming down her cheeks, and when he noticed, he gently wrapped his arms around her and pressed a tender kiss to the top of her head.</p>
<p>“It’s alright”, he said. “It’s alright, I’m not going anywhere.”</p>
<p>“Berlin said he only had one year left to live. I thought… I thought… and you’re <em>so </em>important to me, Sergio. What would I do without you?”</p>
<p>“Oh, my love”, he said, hugging her tighter. “No, no, don’t worry. I’m perfectly healthy, really. Don’t you think I would have told you otherwise?”</p>
<p>She gave him a resentful look. “You didn’t tell me Berlin was your brother either.”</p>
<p>He grimaced. “Alright, fair point, I see how that might have made you doubt me. But I promise you I’m not hiding anything else from you. No more secrets.”</p>
<p>“You really promise?”</p>
<p>“Solemnly.”</p>
<p>They stood holding each other for a while. When Sergio opened his arms again, however, she didn’t stop hugging him.</p>
<p>He smiled. “Can you let go of me now?”</p>
<p>“No”, she said, pressing her face against his shirt, breathing in the comfortingly familiar smell of him. “I don’t think I can.”</p>
<p>He chuckled. “But we have to get back to the screens.”</p>
<p>“I don’t care.”</p>
<p>“Alright…” he said thoughtfully. “Seems like we need a compromise.”</p>
<p>The next moment, he’d bent down and picked her up, and she laughed as she wrapped her arms around his neck instead. He walked over to his usual chair at the desk, then sat down with her on his lap.</p>
<p>“How’s this?”</p>
<p>“Perfect”, she sighed, nestling herself close to him and pressing a kiss to his cheek.</p>
<p>“How were the interviews with the hostages?”</p>
<p>“Fine”, she said, kissing his cheek again.</p>
<p>“Did they say anything we didn’t anticipate?”</p>
<p>“No”, she said, nuzzling his ear.</p>
<p>“Are they still interviewing them?”</p>
<p>“Yes”, she said. “They ask everyone the same questions, and the answers are more or less the same every time.”</p>
<p>Oh, she just couldn’t stop touching him, running her fingers slowly through his hair, then stroking his shoulders. He wasn’t sick, he was strong and healthy and <em>so </em>handsome, and he would be hers for years to come. She leaned in and kissed his neck.</p>
<p>His mouth twitched as he tried not to smile. “Don’t.”</p>
<p>“But I feel like we should celebrate.”</p>
<p>“Celebrate what?”</p>
<p>“That you’re not dying.”</p>
<p>“I was never dying in the first place.”</p>
<p>“I didn’t know that.”</p>
<p>“Well, you know it now. I’m not dying.”</p>
<p>“Prove it”, she whispered, then bit his earlobe. He shivered.</p>
<p>“I get the idea that you have a very specific kind of proof in mind.”</p>
<p>“I do”, she murmured, kissing his neck again.</p>
<p>His voice became a little strained. “I assure you I’m very much alive.”</p>
<p>She smiled as she shifted her hips and felt him hard underneath her. “Yes, I can feel that.”</p>
<p>He groaned. “Raquel, our agreement…”</p>
<p>“We already broke that earlier.”</p>
<p>“Exactly, and we said we wouldn’t do it again!”</p>
<p>“Just five minutes…”</p>
<p>“I resent that”, he laughed. “I last longer than that.”</p>
<p>“Ten minutes then.”</p>
<p>“We can’t leave the screens again, we took such a risk earlier.”</p>
<p>“Nothing happened.”</p>
<p>“That doesn’t mean nothing will happen this time.” He put on his sternest expression. “No, I’m putting my foot down.”</p>
<p>She stroked his beard. “Hmm, I like it when you’re all firm like that. Do it again.”</p>
<p>He suppressed a smile and frowned at her. “It’s not happening!”</p>
<p>She bit her lip. “Oh, very sexy.”</p>
<p>He raised his eyebrows. “Raquel, I’m not getting out of this chair.”</p>
<p>She grinned. “I can work with that.”</p>
<p>The next moment, she was astride his lap, her arms around his neck, her hips pressed against him, and she smiled when he wrapped his arms around her without thinking, looking longingly at her lips. She brought her mouth very close to his.</p>
<p>“I think you want to kiss me”, she whispered.</p>
<p>He cleared his throat. “You’re entirely mistaken.”</p>
<p>“I think you want to undress me.”</p>
<p>“Not even a little bit”, he mumbled, but his eyes flicked down her body.</p>
<p>“I think you want me.”</p>
<p>He swallowed hard. “What… what gave you that idea?”</p>
<p>She pressed her hips against him, feeling him hard between her legs, and he closed his eyes and grimaced.</p>
<p>“Oh… that.”</p>
<p>She brushed his lips with hers for just one fleeting moment, and he sighed with longing.</p>
<p>“So…” she said softly, “<em>do </em>you want to kiss me?”</p>
<p>“Yes”, he whispered.</p>
<p>Another brush of her lips against his.</p>
<p>“Do you want to undress me?”</p>
<p>“Yes.”</p>
<p>She brushed his lips a third time.</p>
<p>“Do you want me?”</p>
<p>“<em>Hell yes</em>,” he said, then he grabbed her hair and pressed his mouth hard against hers, kissing her deeply, the kind of kiss that never failed to turn her on, and she felt an immediate tingle between her legs. She kissed him back just as enthusiastically, both of her hands in his hair, then she sighed as he started kissing her neck. Oh, she wanted him, she wanted him so badly – she moved down her hands and deftly undid the button of his pants, and he groaned as she drew him out. She started stroking him, and he leaned his forehead against her shoulder, his eyes tightly closed.</p>
<p>“Oh”, he sighed. “Oh, that feels so good.”</p>
<p>She gripped him tighter and he gasped.</p>
<p>“We can still stop if you want”, she murmured teasingly in his ear.</p>
<p>“God no”, he groaned, his breathing uneven. “Take off your pants, <em>now</em>.”</p>
<p>She eagerly got off his lap and kicked off her pants and underwear, then she sat astride him again and guided him in. They both moaned as she sank down on him, and he closed his arms around her and pulled her close as she started riding him. She set a fast pace, enjoying the feeling of his hard length filling her up again and again, and soon they were both breathing hard, their faces flushed, their eyes closed. He pressed his mouth against the sensitive skin of her throat and she sighed with pleasure as he kissed her there, then she leaned back a bit as he started kissing her chest, then sought out her nipples, which were hard and visible even through the fabric of her top, to nip at them with his teeth. The sensation sent little jolts straight to her center, and she felt the tension inside her begin to build, build, build until she was gasping. She moved a hand between them and touched just the right spot, and when he bucked his hips to take her deeper, the feeling inside her was <em>so </em>delicious that the tension peaked and broke with a hot, electric tingling that made her moan and moan against his mouth as she tensed and trembled in his arms. He was only a few seconds behind her – even before she’d ridden out the aftershocks, his arms tightened around her and he inhaled sharply, then shuddered his release.</p>
<p>They leaned their foreheads together, their arms still tight around each other, as they took a few minutes to catch their breath. Then she kissed him, slowly and sensuously.</p>
<p>“That was amazing”, she whispered, and he nodded his agreement, smiling.</p>
<p>They didn’t dare leave the screens unattended for any longer, so she regretfully got off him and he flicked through the different channels of the cameras inside the Mint as she dressed.</p>
<p>“Everything alright in there?” she asked him as she let herself fall back into her chair, feeling warm with relief, happy and satisfied.</p>
<p>“Yes”, he said. “Nothing out of the ordinary.”</p>
<p>The smiled at each other, then turned up the volume of the radio and listened in on the police interviewing the hostages.</p>
<p>…</p>
<p>They spent the rest of the afternoon and the early evening together in front of the screens, keeping an eye on the Mint and their radio attuned to Angel’s bug. When nothing interesting was happening, they talked softly, their heads close together. They kept reaching out to touch each other, keeping a hand on an arm or a knee as they talked, and he kept postponing telling her that he was seeing Elena again that evening – she still felt a little fragile and he hated the thought of upsetting her again. After he went out to get them dinner, though, he knew he couldn’t keep postponing it forever.</p>
<p>He took a deep breath and said:</p>
<p>“I’m going out to see Elena.”</p>
<p>She frowned. “Again? You just saw her this afternoon.”</p>
<p>“That was just for a moment, we barely talked. I asked her if she wanted to go for a drink tonight and she told me to come by the tent at nine to see if she’s free.”</p>
<p> “Whoa, wait, you’re having <em>drinks </em>with her now?”</p>
<p>“If she has time.”</p>
<p>“Sergio!” she said, aghast.</p>
<p>“It’s really not a big deal.”</p>
<p>“You’re going to spend an entire <em>evening</em> with this woman?”</p>
<p>“Well… yes.”</p>
<p>“But that’s so much time for her to figure out who you are!”</p>
<p>“How could she possibly? No, this is the perfect time for me to finally get some insights into her, find a way to unbalance her.”</p>
<p>She narrowed her eyes at him. “Are you sure that’s the reason you want to have drinks with her?”</p>
<p>He frowned. “Why else?”</p>
<p>“I think you like talking to her.”</p>
<p>“So?” he said defensively.</p>
<p>She gave him the most exasperated look. “She’s not your friend! She’ll throw you in jail for the rest of your life if she has half a chance!”</p>
<p>“Then I won’t give her that chance.”</p>
<p>“You can’t keep her from suspecting you!”</p>
<p>A thought struck him, and he raised his hands.</p>
<p>“Wait, calm down, think about it for a moment” he said. “What if it had been you?”</p>
<p>“What?”</p>
<p>“What if <em>you </em>had been in charge of the case, and I’d approached you. Would you have suspected me of being who I am?”</p>
<p>To her credit, she really gave it some thought.</p>
<p>“I think I would have thought you were a journalist.”</p>
<p>“And if I managed to convince you that I wasn’t? Would you have suspected me of being the Professor, just walking up to you to talk to you?”</p>
<p>She was visibly calming down.</p>
<p>“No”, she said. “No, I’m fairly sure it wouldn’t even enter my mind.”</p>
<p>“See”, he smiled. “And you have such good instincts, Raquel. If you wouldn’t have suspected me, why do you think Elena will?”</p>
<p>She shot him a dark look. “I thought she was so much smarter than me?”</p>
<p>He shook his head. “I said that in a moment of anger, I didn’t mean it. Besides, she’s smart, but you have much better people skills.”</p>
<p>She sighed, and he saw something close to anxiety in her eyes.</p>
<p>“But Sergio… I think I would have fallen in love with you if I’d met you, even in those circumstances. Especially if you took me out on a date like you’re now doing with Elena.”</p>
<p>That made him laugh. “This isn’t a date!”</p>
<p>“Does <em>she </em>know that?”</p>
<p>“Of course!”</p>
<p>“Then what does she think this is, tonight?”</p>
<p>“She thinks she’s making a new friend.”</p>
<p>She raised an extremely skeptical eyebrow, but he glanced at his watch and realized he didn’t have much time left to argue. Either he should go now, or he shouldn’t go at all. He looked at her, her arms crossed, her brows furrowed, and he remembered the look on her face when she’d thought he was dying. The trembling in her voice, the panic in her eyes… he’d never seen her like that. All of this fighting was only because she cared about him, she worried about him. He felt like he couldn’t just dismiss that – not again.</p>
<p>He sighed. “Look… if you ask me not to go, I won’t go.”</p>
<p>There was such a look of relief in her eyes that he almost stopped there, but he felt like he still needed to try, so he went on:</p>
<p>“But I feel like I’m so close to getting her to trust me. Tonight could reveal crucial information. I just… I just want one clear shot at her, just give me this one chance to make a difference. After tonight, I’ll never go see her again.”</p>
<p>She hesitated. “You’ll never see her again?”</p>
<p>“I promise.”</p>
<p>“And you won’t take any stupid risks tonight?”</p>
<p>“I’ll do anything I can to persuade her to trust me, Raquel, there <em>are </em>no risks. The worst that can happen is that she asks to see my brewery, and then I can take her to the back-up location.”</p>
<p>She sighed. “Fine. Fine, go. Do what you have to do so I don’t have to have this goddamn discussion ever again.”</p>
<p>He rushed to her and kissed her, and she wrapped her arms around him and leaned her head against his chest rather sadly. He felt a stab of guilt, but he managed to push it away as he kissed her hair.</p>
<p>“I won’t stay out too late.”</p>
<p>He sensed her reluctance as she let go of him, so he put his fingers under her chin and lifted her face.</p>
<p>“Hey…” he murmured. “I love you.”</p>
<p>She gave him such a sad look. “I love you too.”</p>
<p>He tried to kiss the sadness away, but there was still a trace of it left in her face as they broke apart and he put on his jacket.</p>
<p>“I’ll be back before you know it”, he said as he walked towards the door.</p>
<p>She simply nodded, then turned around to sit down in front of the screens.</p>
<p>…</p>
<p>She felt a curious mixture of resignation and frustration as she sat down at the desk and flipped through the channels. She might have agreed to let him go, but she still wished he hadn’t <em>wanted </em>to go. She knew she was probably over-sensitive to him taking risks right now, after her earlier scare that he might be dying, but she still knew – objectively, rationally – that he <em>was</em> taking a risk and she didn’t like it. If she was completely honest with herself, she also didn’t like that he was so eager to take that risk, simply to see Elena again, and it frustrated her that he was out having a good time while she was stuck in this stupid hangar, alone, for the entire evening. God, how she was already starting to hate this room, hating the fact that she couldn’t leave for even a minute, dreading the fact that she would have to spend another eight days here.</p>
<p>She kept going through the camera channels from inside the Mint, one by one. Everything seemed calm and normal, the presses working at full force, making them richer by the minute, the hostages either working or resting. She pressed a button to change channels again, moving on to the camera in the boiler room, where the cops and the guards were tied up, and suddenly she froze. The camera was showing her that one of the hostages had freed himself – and not just freed <em>himself</em> – he was freeing the others too. Her shock only lasted for a split second, then she immediately launched into action, grabbing the phone and pressing the button for the Mint.</p>
<p>“Come on, come <em>on</em>”, she muttered as the phone rang, staring at the empty breakroom on her second screen, willing someone to show up. Then, to her immense relief, Nairobi entered and picked up the ringing phone.</p>
<p>“Yes?”</p>
<p>“The hostages in the boiler room are free!” Raquel shouted. “Stop them!”</p>
<p>Nairobi lost no time: she banged down the phone, grabbed her gun, and raced out of the room. Raquel followed her progress through the building with bated breath, keeping one eye on the camera feed of the boiler room, where she saw the guard, Jacinto, free one hostage after another. Nairobi picked up Denver and Oslo on the way, and together they ran down the stairs, where Raquel lost track of them because there were no cameras. She took up her cellphone and called Sergio, then cursed loudly as his phone went straight to voicemail. Meanwhile, on the boiler room camera feed, all the hostages were now free, and clearly discussing what to do next. Raquel felt almost unbearably tense as she kept staring at the door behind the gathered men – then, it suddenly burst open and there were Nairobi, Denver and Oslo, aiming their guns straight at the hostages.</p>
<p>The men dropped to their knees immediately, their hands in the air, and within minutes, they were safely tied up and Raquel could breathe again. As Nairobi, Denver and Oslo made their way back upstairs, Raquel tried calling Sergio again, but once more, it went straight to voicemail. She cursed in frustration – it looked like she had no choice but to handle this herself. She waited until she saw Nairobi come back into the breakroom, then she called the Mint again.</p>
<p>“Everything under control”, Nairobi said upon answering.</p>
<p>“I know, I saw”, Raquel said. “Well done. How did they manage to free themselves? We have to make sure it can’t happen again.”</p>
<p>On the screen, she saw Nairobi hold up some tools. “We found this on the floor.”</p>
<p>Raquel frowned. “Where could they have gotten those?”</p>
<p>“No idea.”</p>
<p>Raquel was thinking fast. After a few seconds, she said: “Clearly something isn’t right, and we need to get to the bottom of this. I want everyone gathered in the breakroom, Nairobi. Except Oslo and Helsinki, let them guard the hostages for now, and I can talk to them later if need be.”</p>
<p>Nairobi nodded and left the room. Raquel tried calling Sergio again, but the result was the same. She was starting to feel worried, but on the screen, she saw the team enter the breakroom, so she pushed the thought away – she’d deal with Sergio later. She picked up the phone and called, and Berlin answered.</p>
<p>“Berlin, we need to figure out how the hostages got hold of those tools. I’ve rewound the video, and the head guard, Jacinto, had them taped to his body – he must have picked them up somewhere when he was let out of the boiler room. Where did he go?”</p>
<p>“Those hostages are only let out to use the bathroom”, Berlin said.</p>
<p>“How can he have gotten tools in the <em>bathroom</em>?” Raquel said.</p>
<p>“No idea”, Berlin said unhelpfully.</p>
<p>Raquel took a moment to think. There was only one option.</p>
<p>“Another hostage must have left them there, a hostage with access to the tools. Get me a list of names of the hostages who worked on the tunnel this afternoon.”</p>
<p>“Helsinki was supervising the tunnel today, I’ll go get him.”</p>
<p>“Let Moscow replace him to guard the hostages.”</p>
<p>Berlin and Moscow left the room, and Nairobi took over the phone.</p>
<p>“Nairobi”, Raquel said, feeling more like Inspector Murillo than she had in months, calm and in charge of the situation as she reconstructed this crime. “Who last took Jacinto up to the bathroom?”</p>
<p>Nairobi asked the question to the team, and Denver raised his hand.</p>
<p>“Denver says Jacinto requested an extra bathroom break half an hour ago and he took him up.”</p>
<p>“Does he remember which cubicle he used?”</p>
<p>Denver thought about it, then Nairobi said:</p>
<p>“He thinks it was the second-to-last.”</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Berlin came back with Helsinki, who took over the phone.</p>
<p>“Which hostages worked on the tunnel today?” Raquel asked, and Helsinki proceeded to list them.</p>
<p>“Did any of those hostages request an unscheduled bathroom break this afternoon?”</p>
<p>“No”, Helsinki said.</p>
<p>Raquel cursed. “Ask the others if anyone else requested an unscheduled bathroom break in the last two hours.”</p>
<p>Helsinki asked the question, and Rio took the phone.</p>
<p>“Arturo Román requested an unscheduled bathroom break about an hour ago.”</p>
<p>“Cubicle?”</p>
<p>“Somewhere at the end of the row.”</p>
<p>Raquel frowned. “That’s consistent, but where would Román have gotten the tools? He’s resting from his surgery, right?”</p>
<p>Helsinki took the phone again. “I see Román talk to the boy, Pablo, often times today. Pablo work on tunnel earlier, he could take tools and give them to Román.”</p>
<p>Raquel felt a cold satisfaction. “Looks like we have our tool-provider, then. Hand the phone back to Berlin, please.”</p>
<p>Helsinki did so, and Berlin came back on the line.</p>
<p>“So, Arturo Román, huh?”</p>
<p>“Yes”, she said, feeling anger rise inside her. “Berlin, I think Mr. Román has caused enough trouble for one heist.”</p>
<p>“Agreed. Do you want him shot?”</p>
<p>“Goddammit Berlin, <em>no</em>!”</p>
<p>“He should be punished, Lisbon. We can’t let this pass.”</p>
<p>“I agree, but we’re not killing hostages, not now, not ever!”</p>
<p>“Then what do you propose?”</p>
<p>She hesitated. “Let me try to reach Sergio.”</p>
<p>“Where is he?”</p>
<p>“Out”, she said curtly. She tried calling him again, but he still wasn’t answering his phone. She squared her shoulders. “Alright, Berlin, you’ll have to follow <em>my </em>orders on this and we’ll see if Sergio wants to make any changes when he gets back.”</p>
<p>“Fine.”</p>
<p>“Please isolate Mr. Román, tie him up, blindfold and gag him, then put him in a <em>locked </em>room for the rest of the heist. He will only be allowed out to go to the bathroom, under armed supervision. When one of you goes in to clean and rebandage his wound, there will always be a second armed person in the room. We’re not taking any more risks with this guy, he clearly thinks he’s some kind of hero.”</p>
<p>“Do you call that ‘punishing him’?”</p>
<p>“We’re making sure he can’t do any more damage. That’s enough.”</p>
<p>“I don’t agree.”</p>
<p>“You’re not in charge, Berlin. I am.”</p>
<p>There was a short silence on the other side of the line, and Raquel felt clearly that he was not convinced.</p>
<p>“Berlin”, she said, her tone soft but clear. “When Sergio is not here, <em>I </em>am in charge. And I warned you what would happen if you disobeyed orders again. If Mr. Román is hurt in <em>any </em>way, I will order Oslo and Helsinki to tie you up and put you right next to Román in that locked room. Do I make myself clear?”</p>
<p>“Perfectly clear, Lisbon, as always. What about Pablo? He’s the one who actually stole the tools.”</p>
<p>“He’s a kid”, Raquel said. “You don’t touch him.”</p>
<p>“But…”</p>
<p>“<em>You don’t touch him</em>.”</p>
<p>“Lisbon…”</p>
<p>“Berlin”, she threatened. “I told you what will happen if you disobey orders. Don’t make me repeat myself.”</p>
<p>“I’ll want to talk to the Professor when he gets back.”</p>
<p>“That’s fine”, she said icily. “But for now, you’ll do as I say. Isolate Román, and tell Pablo the same will happen to him if he pulls another stunt like that.”</p>
<p>Berlin nodded and put down the phone, and Raquel leaned back in her chair with a deep sigh, rubbing a hand over her eyes, suddenly exhausted. She tried calling Sergio yet again, but again there was no answer, and now that she had time to think about it, she was starting to feel really worried. What if Elena had figured out who he was? What if she’d arrested him? Before she could start panicking, however, she took a deep breath and tried to think about it rationally. She suddenly realized that his phone wasn’t even ringing before going to voicemail, which meant that he wasn’t just not picking up… his phone was turned off. If Elena had arrested him, the first thing she would have done would have been to confiscate his phone. Even if he’d managed to turn it off first, the police IT people had ways of turning it back on – they’d want to access it immediately. So, she concluded, the fact that his phone was off pointed towards him <em>not</em> being arrested.</p>
<p>The second option would be a dead battery, but she’d seen him unplug his phone from the charger only an hour ago, so that couldn’t be it, either. Then there was only one reasonable assumption left: he’d deliberately turned his phone off. She frowned, dumbfounded. Why, <em>why </em>would he turn off his phone, making him unreachable in case of an emergency? Was he <em>that </em>keen on not being disturbed during his ‘not-a-date’ with Elena? <em>Why</em>? The uneasy feeling she already had about his fascination with Elena deepened. He seemed to like her… so much so that he was willing to take big risks to talk to her – so much so that he was willing to have fight after fight about it, that he ignored her concerns and worries and went anyway. And now he’d turned off his phone. She looked down at her own phone, but there were no calls, no messages, nothing, and she hit the desk in frustration. What the <em>hell </em>was going on?!</p>
<p>…</p>
<p>When Sergio left the control room, he felt rather guilty about going out when Raquel was so reluctant to let him go, but he knew, he <em>knew </em>that he needed to do this. They needed eight more days to complete their mission, and Elena would never give them those eight days unless he got under her skin somehow. Having a drink with her tonight was the perfect way to find out how, and he felt an eager sense of anticipation as he walked towards the Mint. It would be <em>such </em>a challenge to try and get her to open up to him, either about herself or about the operation – either would be a win. He would have to approach her with the utmost delicacy.</p>
<p>When he turned the corner to the Mint, he stopped and just looked at the building for a moment. His team was in there, risking their lives to execute his plan. He felt a shiver run down his spine – they were so close… Then he shook himself and walked up to the tents that had been set up at a safe distance. There was police tape separating the general public from the command center, and he went to stand in front of it, his heart beating rather fast at the thrill of being so close to the enemy. Two uniformed police officers walked towards him, and he was just about to ask after Inspector González when they came to stand on either side of him and one of them took him by the arm.</p>
<p>“Could you come with us, sir?”</p>
<p>“What?” he said, alarmed. “Why?”</p>
<p>They didn’t answer, simply lifted the police tape and steered him underneath it and towards the smaller of the two tents.</p>
<p>“Where are you taking me?” he asked urgently.</p>
<p>The officer holding him by the arm gave him a cool look.</p>
<p>“Inspector González would like to ask you a few questions.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Panic</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>First of all, I want to thank everyone who's left kudos so far, and an especially big thank you to everyone who has commented! Your encouragement means so much to me, and it's a major motivating force to keep writing!</p>
<p>Secondly: I know that many of you are still a little raw from s4 (I am too), and that you mostly want Serquel fluff right now, so I just want to say that this chapter contains very little fluff. If you don't want to read anything without fluff right now, then I advise you to wait until I've posted next week's chapter (which will be very fluffy) and read both chapters at once :) </p>
<p>Either way, I hope you enjoy the chapter!</p>
<p>As always: a thank you to thegirloverseas and ParijanTaiyou for proofreading!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Day 3 – evening </strong>
</p>
<p>Sergio tried hard to stay calm as the two police officers steered him into the smaller of the two tents. Elena wanted to ask him questions – what kinds of questions? Was Raquel right? Was she starting to suspect him? Inside the tent, five other civilians were sitting in a row of chairs, and Sergio was deposited next to them.</p>
<p>“Please wait here, sir”, the officers said, then went back outside.</p>
<p>“What’s going on?” he asked the man sitting next to him.</p>
<p>“No idea. I was just walking home, a couple of blocks from here, and then a cop came up to me and asked me to come with him.”</p>
<p>“Me too”, said the other men.</p>
<p>At that point, two uniformed officers entered the tent.</p>
<p>“Good evening gentlemen, you have been selected for a random background check by orders of Inspector González. Please give me your ID – in a minute, a colleague will come get your fingerprints. You will be here for a while, so feel free to make a phone call if you need to let someone know you’ve been delayed.”</p>
<p>Sergio’s first feeling was one of relief: Elena didn’t specifically suspect him after all, it was just a random background check. But as one of the police officers started collecting the other men’s IDs, he felt a stab of unease: he had a fake ID, and the identity he had constructed for himself was solid at first glance, but it wouldn’t hold up under close scrutiny. If the Inspector had her people really dig into his background, it would quickly fall apart, and then he would be in real trouble. His mind was racing as the officer reached him and held out his hand.</p>
<p>“Excuse me”, Sergio said, “but I think there’s been a mistake. You see, I’m here at the invitation of Inspector González – I’m a friend of hers.”</p>
<p>The cop frowned. “You’re a friend of the Inspector’s?”</p>
<p>“Yes, Salvador Martín. Please, check with her, she’ll confirm.”</p>
<p>The cop gave him a suspicious look, still holding out his hand.</p>
<p>“Your ID, please, sir.”</p>
<p>He reluctantly took out his wallet and drew out his fake ID.</p>
<p>“Will you tell the Inspector I’m here?”</p>
<p>“Yes, I will, but I’d like your ID anyway.”</p>
<p>He handed over the card, wondering how thorough their background check would be.</p>
<p>The cop left the tent, leaving his colleague to stand guard. Sergio watched him go with a feeling of deep unease, then he noticed that the other men were taking out their phones and making calls. He hesitated. He wanted to let Raquel know what was going on, but he knew that the other tent was full of equipment to tap into cell phones and listen in on calls, and if he were Elena, he would <em>definitely </em>want to listen in on whatever calls his suspects were making. If he called Raquel, she might say his name and that would blow his cover as Salva. Then he realized that he couldn’t risk Raquel calling <em>him</em>, either, because even if he didn’t pick up, the call might still be traced back to the control room – and whatever happened to him, no matter if he was discovered or arrested, he could <em>not </em>allow them to discover the control room – discover Raquel. He hated to do it, because it meant that he would be unavailable in case of an emergency, but he couldn’t take any risks: he had to turn off his phone completely.</p>
<p>He glanced at the other men. The officer had said they’d been selected for a random background check, but it didn’t look so random to him: all of them were men, they seemed to be more or less the same age, and they were all dressed in a suit.</p>
<p>“Excuse me”, Sergio said, addressing their guard. “Can you tell me why we were selected for this background check, specifically?”</p>
<p>“Inspector González has drawn up a profile of our suspect, sir. You have been selected because you fit the specifications: white male, mid-thirties to late forties, wearing anything but jeans.”</p>
<p>Sergio suppressed a smile as he remembered his first phone conversation with the Inspector: <em>what are you wearing</em>? He’d told her he was wearing jeans and a sweater, and clearly she hadn’t believed him. Smart. The other specifications were based on probability: the majority of native-born Spaniards was white, and he didn’t have an accent to indicate an immigrant background – she assumed he was male because of the questions he asked her – and he’d clearly been working on this plan for a while, indicating that he wasn’t in his twenties anymore. He was impressed, but not surprised, at the accuracy of her assumptions.</p>
<p>A new uniformed officer entered the tent, carrying the necessary equipment to take their fingerprints, and Sergio shifted uncomfortably. He didn’t like the idea at all that his fingerprints would be in the system – his brain was working at full force, trying to think of an excuse, a way to escape, but he came up blank. He became increasingly nervous as he watched the cop’s progress along the line, taking their fingerprints one by one. Finally, he turned to Sergio.</p>
<p>“Please hold out your hand, sir.”</p>
<p>Sergio hesitated, his thoughts and heart racing, but there was no way out.</p>
<p>“Sir?”</p>
<p>Sergio swallowed, then slowly held out his hand.</p>
<p>At that point, Elena walked in, followed by Angel, and Sergio quickly pulled back his hand, tensing hopefully.</p>
<p>“Elena, hi!”</p>
<p>She walked over to him, looking a little embarrassed.</p>
<p>“My apologies, Salva, I’d totally forgotten I’d asked you to stop by at nine. I’m sorry you got caught up in this.”</p>
<p>“It’s alright”, he said, smiling in relief. “Just a misunderstanding.”</p>
<p>But Angel was frowning as he turned to Elena.</p>
<p>“You know this guy?”</p>
<p>“Yes, I met him yesterday in Hanoi. We were going to go for a drink.”</p>
<p>“Forgive me, Elena, but if he’s been talking to you, doesn’t that make him <em>more </em>suspicious?”</p>
<p>She raised her eyebrows. “You really think mastermind criminals just walk up to police inspectors and introduce themselves? That would make my job <em>very </em>easy.”</p>
<p>He shook his head. “I suppose… Still, it can’t hurt to quickly check his ID, just in case.”</p>
<p>Elena looked down at the ID card she was holding, and Sergio held his breath. Before she could reply, however, a uniformed officer ran into the tent.</p>
<p>“Inspector! The Professor is calling!”</p>
<p>Elena raised her eyebrows at Angel.</p>
<p>“Well, that makes this discussion moot.”</p>
<p>She turned to the other civilians.</p>
<p>“Alright gentlemen, you can go. We’ll return your ID to you in a minute, and you have my apologies for the inconvenience.”</p>
<p>Then she handed Sergio’s ID back to him, and he put it back into his wallet with a feeling of utmost relief.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry Salva, looks like our drink will have to wait.”</p>
<p>“Tomorrow?” he asked hopefully.</p>
<p>She was already walking towards the exit.</p>
<p>“I don’t know, work is so unpredictable right now.”</p>
<p>He was struck by an idea. “Then how about you give me your number?”</p>
<p>“Elena”, Angel reminded her. “The Professor is waiting.”</p>
<p>“You know what?” she said. “Let him wait, it will be good for him not to get what he wants immediately.”</p>
<p>She turned back to Sergio.</p>
<p>“Alright, I’ll give you my number, put it in your phone.”</p>
<p>“Oh”, he said. “It’s turned off, give me a minute.”</p>
<p>“I don’t have <em>that </em>much time. Just give me yours.”</p>
<p>She took out her phone and he gave her his number.</p>
<p>“I’ll text you when I’m free and we can meet up.”</p>
<p>“Alright”, he said. “I can come pick you up whenever.”</p>
<p>She gave him a half-smile. “I’ll tell the uniforms not to arrest you next time.”</p>
<p>He grinned. “Sounds good.”</p>
<p>He walked out of the tent, feeling quite pleased with himself, and hurried back to the control room, where he knew Raquel would be waiting for him. The moment he walked through the door, she was just putting down the phone, and she looked up at him with a stormy expression that made him hesitate to come closer.</p>
<p>“I <em>told </em>you meeting with Elena was a bad idea!”</p>
<p>“What do you mean?” he frowned. “If anything, this proves that it was a <em>good </em>idea.”</p>
<p>“<em>What</em>?! Sergio, you got picked up by the cops! If she’d checked your identity, you could have been discovered!”</p>
<p>“But she <em>didn’t </em>check my identity, that’s the crucial thing!”</p>
<p>“How is that the crucial thing?”</p>
<p>“Don’t you see?” he explained eagerly. “They were picking up men with my profile in all the streets around the Mint – I could easily have been brought in for a background check by going out to get us food. If I <em>hadn’t </em>known Elena, they would then really have checked my ID. But because I <em>do </em>know Elena, I was cleared of all suspicion! Knowing her saved me.”</p>
<p>“<em>I </em>saved you, you idiot! It’s because I called them as the Professor that they thought it couldn’t be you.”</p>
<p>“Yes, I admit that your timing was perfect. But how did you even know to call them?”</p>
<p>“Because I heard them talking through Angel’s bug about a guy she’d met in Hanoi yesterday.”</p>
<p>“Exactly!” he said triumphantly. “You recognized that it was me <em>because she knew me</em>. Otherwise I would have been just another guy in the line-up and they wouldn’t have talked about me in a way that would have made you realize that it was me. So again: knowing Elena kept me safe, proving definitively that I made the right decision approaching her!”</p>
<p>She gave him the most begrudging look. “I suppose.”</p>
<p>He grinned. “You can’t stand it that I’m right about this.”</p>
<p>He took his phone out of his pocket and turned it back on, then his eyebrows rose as it started pinging loudly.</p>
<p>“Why did you call me… six times?” he asked, suddenly alarmed. “What happened?”</p>
<p>She crossed her arms, clearly still annoyed with him. “While you were out getting yourself arrested, the cops and guards in the boiler room managed to free themselves.”</p>
<p>“What?!” he yelped. “Did they escape?”</p>
<p>“No”, she said succinctly, and he breathed a sigh of relief. “I noticed just in time and alerted the team.”</p>
<p>“How did they get loose?”</p>
<p>“One of them got hold of some tools. We traced those back to Arturo Román.”</p>
<p>Sergio grimaced. “Román <em>again</em>?”</p>
<p>She nodded drily. “You’d think he’d stay quiet for a bit after yesterday, but apparently it takes more than one bullet to stop this guy from being an idiot.”</p>
<p>He shook his head. “Why would he do something like that? We don’t want to hurt anyone, but they <em>do </em>have to cooperate.”</p>
<p>“Talking about cooperation”, she said, “Berlin wants to talk to you.”</p>
<p>“Why?” he asked, sitting down at the desk and picking up the phone.</p>
<p>“He didn’t approve of my orders – he wants a harsher punishment for Román.”</p>
<p>Sergio frowned and pushed the button for the Mint. On the screen, Berlin entered the breakroom and picked up.</p>
<p>Raquel moved away from the desk – she felt like this was a conversation she shouldn’t be a part of, and she tried to give Sergio some privacy to talk to his captain, but there was nowhere she could go, and even at the furthest point in the hangar, she could still hear what he was saying.</p>
<p>“Berlin… no, I was out… Yes… I don’t care if you don’t agree with her decision, when I’m not here, she’s in charge and you listen to her… No, I don’t even want to know what her orders were, Berlin, she speaks for me and I’m sure she made the right call.”</p>
<p>She felt herself relent towards him. It meant a lot to her that he trusted her so unquestioningly.</p>
<p>“This isn’t up for discussion”, Sergio said curtly, then put down the phone.</p>
<p>She walked back towards the desk.</p>
<p>“You don’t even want to know what my orders were?”</p>
<p>“It doesn’t matter”, he said staunchly. “I’m not overruling you.”</p>
<p>She shot him a look. “Thank you.”</p>
<p>He nodded. “We’re a team. But, just so I know: what did you tell them to do with Mr. Román?”</p>
<p>“I ordered them to tie him up and keep him isolated.”</p>
<p>“That sounds about right.”</p>
<p>He gave her a long, considering look.</p>
<p>“Raquel, it’s such a good thing that you’re here with me. This hostage escape might otherwise have happened when I was out, and it could have resulted in disaster. You may have saved the entire operation tonight.”</p>
<p>She felt further mollified as he got up and came to stand close to her.</p>
<p>“Are you still mad at me?” he asked softly.</p>
<p>She sighed. “No, I’m not. I can’t deny that you’re right: if you hadn’t approached Elena, you could have been in that tent getting a background check right now and I wouldn’t have known.”</p>
<p>To his credit, he didn’t gloat at her admission that he was right. He just gave her a soft look and said:</p>
<p>“I’m going to kiss you now.”</p>
<p>She smiled up at him. “Oh, are you?”</p>
<p>“I think I am”, he said, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close.</p>
<p>She wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned against him, her face tilted up to his.</p>
<p>“What makes you think I’ll let you?”</p>
<p>He grinned. “Past experience.”</p>
<p>That made her laugh. It felt good to laugh with him.</p>
<p>He bent his head and pressed his lips against hers, softly, and they happily sank into slow, sweet kisses for several long minutes, reconnecting. Then she leaned her head on his chest and allowed herself to relax against him with a sigh.</p>
<p>“I’m glad you’re safe”, she murmured. “I was so worried when you didn’t pick up your phone.”</p>
<p>“I’m sorry”, he said. “I couldn’t risk them tracing any calls back to you.”</p>
<p>She nodded, then regretfully let go of him.</p>
<p>“We should get back to the screens.”</p>
<p>The moment he sat down, his phone pinged, a message from an unknown number.</p>
<p>&lt;&lt;Sorry again about getting you arrested. Here’s my number. E &gt;&gt;</p>
<p>He smiled. It was a good sign that she was texting him, that meant she was really interested in meeting up with him. He texted back.</p>
<p>&lt;&lt;No problem! Let me know when you’re free.&gt;&gt;</p>
<p>“Important message?” she asked him as she sat down next to him.</p>
<p>“No”, he said, “just Elena texting me her number.”</p>
<p>She raised her eyebrows. “You’re texting now?”</p>
<p>“You can’t object to that”, he said quickly. “There’s no way she can figure out who I am through a text message.”</p>
<p>“I suppose…”, she said.</p>
<p>“I just gave her my number so we could reschedule our drink.”</p>
<p>He saw her struggle with herself, and he waited, tense.</p>
<p>“After that you won’t try to meet her again, right?”</p>
<p>“That’s what we agreed”, he nodded.</p>
<p>“Okay”, she said, in a tone that indicated she was dropping the matter, and he relaxed. He was glad that she had finally realized that he wasn’t in any danger with Elena. He checked his watch.</p>
<p>“You can sleep first if you want.”</p>
<p>She sighed and got up to start pacing.</p>
<p>“I don’t want to sleep yet, I still have way too much energy. I’ve been stuck behind this desk all day, in the dark, without being able to move more than a few meters.”</p>
<p>She turned to him.</p>
<p>“Sergio… I want to go outside tomorrow.”</p>
<p>“What?” he said, alarmed. “No, Raquel, that’s not an option.”</p>
<p>“I can’t stay in this awful place for another 8 days without seeing the sun, Sergio, I’ll go mad!”</p>
<p>“I’m sorry”, he said, “but the streets are crawling with cops, they might recognize you.”</p>
<p>“I could wear sunglasses and a hat.”</p>
<p>“It’s still a big risk!”</p>
<p>“You take risks <em>all the time</em>”, she shot back.</p>
<p>“Those are calculated risks”, he said. “This would be a <em>stupid </em>risk. I’m never in any danger, but you’re a fugitive.”</p>
<p>“You get to go outside all the time and I’m stuck in here”, she said grumpily.</p>
<p>“I only go out when it’s necessary”, he said. “You going out isn’t necessary in any way.”</p>
<p>“It’s necessary for me not to go stir crazy.”</p>
<p>He shook his head. “This is non-negotiable. You’re not leaving this hangar.”</p>
<p>She bristled – his tone reminded her of something, something unpleasant, but she wasn’t sure what it was.</p>
<p>“I can make my own decisions, thank you very much.”</p>
<p>“No”, he said, “not in this operation. As long as we’re in here, you follow my orders – we talked about this beforehand, we established a chain of command and you agreed to it!”</p>
<p>“We agreed that I would follow your orders <em>about the heist</em>, yes.”</p>
<p>“This <em>is </em>about the heist!”</p>
<p>“No, it’s not! It’s a personal matter, and you don’t give me orders about that!”</p>
<p>Her feeling of unease was growing, but she still couldn’t quite place it.</p>
<p>“Raquel”, he said, “we’re not arguing over this. We said weeks ago that you wouldn’t leave the hangar – only me. You <em>agreed </em>to that! You <em>know </em>it’s a stupid risk to take, you’re just not thinking clearly because you’re tired and stressed.”</p>
<p>She sighed and rubbed her face. “I suppose.”</p>
<p>“I’m sorry you’re feeling cooped up”, he said in a gentler tone. “I understand, I do. But we need to stick to the plan, and the plan is for you to stay inside no matter what.”</p>
<p>She nodded. “Yes, I know.”</p>
<p>“It’s only one more week”, he said soothingly. “It will be alright.”</p>
<p>She sat back down and sighed again. “It’s just… I know we’ve only been here three days, but doesn’t it feel much longer?”</p>
<p>“It does”, he nodded. “It really does.”</p>
<p>“I feel like I haven’t been outside in <em>weeks</em>, and the thought that I still have to stay here for twice as long as we’ve been here already is…”</p>
<p>She shuddered, and he took her hand and squeezed it.</p>
<p>“The first days will feel the longest, though”, he said. “After this, we’ll settle into a bit of a routine and time will pass faster.”</p>
<p>“I hope so”, she said soberly.</p>
<p>“I’m sure of it”, he said firmly. “Now talk me through exactly what happened with those hostages.”</p>
<p>They spent half an hour talking quietly about the night’s events, until the excitement of the evening had worn off for her, leaving her feeling drained and tired. She got up and gave him a long, soft kiss.</p>
<p>“I’m glad you’re safe”, she repeated.</p>
<p>He cupped her face in his hand and stroked her cheek with his thumb.</p>
<p>“You were amazing tonight, Raquel. I don’t know how I’d be running things here without you.”</p>
<p>She felt a bit better as she kissed him again, then went to bed.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Day 4</strong>
</p>
<p>She sat down in front of the screens, yawning. Six hours of sleep was sufficient to keep going, but it wasn’t enough to actually feel rested – she considered asking Sergio if she could sleep a few extra hours tonight. In the Mint, everyone was still sleeping, and Angel was still at home, so there wasn’t anything for her to watch or listen to, and she could feel herself nodding off. She cursed inwardly – she should have asked Sergio to go get her coffee before he went to bed. She couldn’t exactly wake him for that now. As time dragged on, she felt her eyelids get heavier and heavier, and at a certain point, she woke up with a start after dozing off. She shook herself – this wasn’t good, even if everything was quiet inside the Mint, the team was counting on her to keep an eye on things. She glanced up at the window, through which she could see that the morning sun was coloring the sky orange and gold, and she suddenly felt such a deep longing to walk out that door, to breathe in the fresh air and feel the sun on her face and walk just a few blocks, stretch her legs, get out of this dark, depressing room for five minutes… just five minutes… could it really hurt?</p>
<p>She glanced at the screens – everything calm and quiet – then at Sergio sleeping in the bed. He didn’t have to know, right? There was a coffee place just around the corner, it would literally only take her ten minutes to get back. She told herself it was irresponsible of her to keep sitting here if she was falling asleep – yes, now that she thought of it, getting coffee was actually the <em>responsible</em> thing to do, it would help her stay awake. She looked at Sergio again, and she could clearly hear him say: <em>You’re not leaving this hangar. </em>Yesterday’s feeling of unease crept up on her again, and suddenly she recognized it. A different voice sounded in her mind, saying: <em>You’re not wearing that to work. </em>She pressed her lips together and tried to tune him out, but Alberto went on, telling her what she wasn’t allowed to wear, who she wasn’t allowed to talk to, where she wasn’t allowed to go. She clenched her jaw. She wouldn’t let that happen a second time, she wouldn’t let anyone control her anymore – she made her own decisions.</p>
<p>She quietly got up and put on her jacket and a baseball cap, keeping an eye on Sergio to make sure that he was still sleeping soundly, firmly ignoring the little voice in the back of her mind that sounded an awful lot like him and that was telling her in no uncertain terms that she shouldn’t be doing this. He had no right to order her around – and beside that, the thought of the outside was irresistible… She slipped out the door before she could change her mind.</p>
<p>She felt instantly better, feeling her heart lift as she took deep breaths of the cool morning air and turned her face into the rays of the sun. She hadn’t realized beforehand how hard it would be to stay in the hangar for the duration of the heist – always in the semi-dark, the fluorescent lighting a poor substitute for the sun, the damp smell of the place always in her nostrils. She smiled and set off at a brisk pace, feeling free and ridiculously happy to be out in the early morning quiet. Then she turned a corner, and suddenly she was almost face to face with two uniformed police officers coming from the opposite direction. Her heart skipped a beat and she immediately turned back around and rounded the corner again, cursing quietly – she knew if the cops had seen her turn around at the sight of them, it would have looked incredibly suspicious. She hurried back down the street, half expecting shouts behind her, a hand on her shoulder, but she didn’t dare look back until she reached the door of the hangar, when she risked a quick glance down the street and saw to her relief that the cops hadn’t followed her. Still, her heart was beating frantically, and she decided not to risk it again, just for a cup of coffee – the adrenaline would keep her awake for a while now.</p>
<p>She opened the door and stepped back inside, careful to be as quiet as possible so as not to wake Sergio, but…</p>
<p>“Raquel!”</p>
<p>She froze. Oh <em>damn</em>. She turned around and saw him rush towards her, only wearing pants, clearly in the middle of getting dressed. His eyes were wide with panic, and he rubbed a shaking hand over his eyes as he saw her.</p>
<p>“Oh, thank god!”</p>
<p>Then he looked up at her, angrier than she’d ever seen him before.</p>
<p>“Where the <em>hell </em>were you?!”</p>
<p>“I just stepped out for a minute, Sergio, I…”</p>
<p>“<em>Why</em>?”</p>
<p>“To get coffee, I really needed it, I was falling asleep in front of the screens and it just wasn’t safe…”</p>
<p>“Where is it, then?”</p>
<p>“What?”</p>
<p>“Your coffee.”</p>
<p>She shifted uncomfortably. “I… I changed my mind.”</p>
<p>He gave her a suspicious look. “You changed your mind about coffee halfway down the street?”</p>
<p>She sighed. “Fine. I saw two cops, so I turned back.”</p>
<p>He made a gesture of utter frustration. “<em>Dammit, </em>Raquel!”</p>
<p>“I’m sorry, Sergio, I <em>had </em>to get out of here!”</p>
<p>“You know you’re not allowed outside!”</p>
<p>She bristled. “I’m not <em>allowed</em> outside? I’m an adult woman, Sergio, you don’t tell me what I’m <em>allowed </em>to do.”</p>
<p>“In this operation, I’m your superior, and you ignored a direct order!”</p>
<p>“I told you yesterday: I’ll follow your orders when they’re about the operation, but this is about my personal freedom of movement and you have no say over that!”</p>
<p>The adrenaline was still racing through her body, amplifying her emotions, making her unreasonably angry. She knew she wasn’t entirely in the right here, but she was so fed up with him right now.</p>
<p>“I’m so <em>sick </em>of you doing whatever the fuck you want while you expect me to sit quietly and be a good girl!”</p>
<p>“I just want to stick to the plan!” he yelled.</p>
<p>“No, you’re trying to control me, like you need to control everything else!”</p>
<p>“That’s not true!” he said, outraged. “I’m just trying to keep you <em>safe</em>!”</p>
<p>They’d never had a fight like this, going head to head, but the tension of the last few days was all coming to the surface and she knew they had to have it out.</p>
<p>“I can keep myself safe!” she yelled back.</p>
<p>“<em>Clearly </em>you can’t! You’re emotional, you’re impulsive, you have <em>no </em>restraint!”</p>
<p>“So I should just do as you tell me?”</p>
<p>“Yes!”</p>
<p>“That’s not how relationships work, Sergio! You can’t control my every move!”</p>
<p>They looked at each other, both unwilling to back down, the air between them electric with tension. <em>God </em>he made her angry, he was so exasperating, so stubborn… but then she saw something break behind his eyes and he said in a strained voice:</p>
<p>“But don’t you <em>see</em>? I can’t <em>lose</em> you, Raquel!”</p>
<p>Realization hit her and suddenly she saw things clearly: he was only angry because he worried about her, and he worried because he loved her, he really did, and she loved him too, <em>fuck</em>, she loved him so much.</p>
<p>The tension between them broke. She ran to him and he caught her and lifted her off the ground as he kissed her hard, one arm tight around her waist and one hand in her hair. She suddenly wanted him desperately, the adrenaline in her blood firing up a desire for him that was nearly unbearable, and she realized all these built-up emotions had to be released <em>somehow.</em> She wrapped her arms around his neck and gripped his hair with both hands as she kissed him back, matching his hunger with her own, and he inhaled sharply as she bit his bottom lip. In a few steps, he carried her to the desk and sat her down on the edge of it, still kissing her deeply, demandingly, then he let one hand disappear in her hair and she gasped as he <em>tugged</em> sharply to tilt her head back, and then his mouth was at her throat, making her shudder as he covered the delicate skin with little bites. Oh, <em>oh</em>, she’d never wanted him so badly. Her hands reached down and unbuttoned his pants, then she hopped off the desk for just a moment to kick out of her own pants and underwear. He immediately lifted her back up and pushed apart her knees so he could stand between them.</p>
<p>She grabbed his hair and kissed him hard as his hand dipped between her legs, feeling how wet she was, and his fingers brushing against her made her feel like she would combust. “Fuck me, Sergio”, she whispered breathlessly against his lips, “fuck me <em>now</em>”, and he did, gripping her hips and pulling her roughly to the edge, then pushing into her with one hard thrust that drew a sharp cry from her lips. He started taking her at a fast pace, and she held onto him tightly as she moaned with the ecstasy of it. She drew her fingernails down his bare back and he shuddered and groaned and took her even deeper. A delicious, tingling tension was building inside her, begging to be released, but there was no way he could make her come like this. He seemed to realize it too, because suddenly he drew back and lifted her off the desk, and she gasped as he firmly turned her around and bent her over the desk so she was leaning on her elbows. He gripped her hips tightly and pushed back into her, taking her harder than he ever had before, and she was loving every second of it, <em>god </em>this was so hot, the pressure inside of her building until she wanted to scream, every deep thrust pushing her right up to the edge and making a strained “<em>yes</em>!” escape from her lips.</p>
<p>Just when she thought she wouldn’t be able to bear it anymore, she felt his hand move around her hip to finally, mercifully, dip between her legs, making her hold her breath in anticipation. She came the very instant his fingers touched her, all the pent-up tension rushing through her with a fiery thrill she felt down to her toes, and she cried out loudly, again and again, as he kept taking her hard, rocking her to her core with wave after wave of golden-edged pleasure. When it receded, his fingers and movements eased up for only a few moments, allowing her to take a few shaky breaths, but then he pressed into her once more, touching her again at the same time, and her breath hitched sharply, her fingernails scrabbling at the wood of the desk as, for a few seconds, she was unbearably sensitive, the sensation on a knife’s edge between pleasure and pain, but then pleasure won out very firmly, and to her utter surprise she could feel a second orgasm build with astounding rapidity. She could only hang her head and moan and moan as it swept through her, all-consuming, canceling out everything but his fingers in <em>just </em>the right spot and his hard length deep inside her, and she barely noticed it when he cried out too.</p>
<p>She was gasping for breath and shaking hard as the feeling receded, leaving her weak at the knees and tingling all over.</p>
<p>“Oh my god”, she whispered. “<em>Oh my god</em>.”</p>
<p>His hands were on either side of her as he leaned heavily on the desk, breathing hard. Then he wrapped his arms around her waist and his mouth was at her ear with a soft murmur.</p>
<p>“Are you alright?”</p>
<p>“Yes”, she whispered back, still catching her breath. “<em>Fuck</em>, Sergio, that was <em>amazing</em>.”</p>
<p>“Was I too rough?” he asked, his tone a little worried, and she smiled.</p>
<p>“No, my love, not even for a second.”</p>
<p>She straightened and turned in his arms as she felt the mood shift now that the urgency of the situation was gone. She looked up at him with sparkling eyes and he gave her an uncertain grin.</p>
<p>“That was… uhm… unexpected. I thought we were fighting.”</p>
<p>“All that tension had to go somewhere”, she said, and he nodded.</p>
<p>“I suddenly <em>had </em>to have you, Raquel, I couldn’t stop myself.”</p>
<p>“Me neither”, she murmured, then lifted her face to press a soft kiss against his lips. They stayed kissing for several long moments, his hand stroking her hair, her fingers caressing the back of his neck. Then she drew back regretfully.</p>
<p>“We still need to talk about this.”</p>
<p>He nodded. “But no more fighting. Please.”</p>
<p>“No more fighting”, she agreed.</p>
<p>He took a quick look at the screens as she dressed herself again, then they rolled their chairs close to each other and sat down, holding hands.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry I got so angry”, he started. “But I woke up and you were <em>gone</em>, Raquel, I panicked.”</p>
<p>“I’m sorry too”, she said. “I thought I would be back before you noticed.”</p>
<p>“Why did you do it? Don’t tell me it was just for a stupid cup of coffee. You could have woken me up for that.”</p>
<p>She sighed. “I just <em>wanted </em>to do it. I felt trapped, and I resented it that you feel free to take any risk, yet you told me that I couldn’t. It felt like you were trying to control me, and honestly, I’ve had enough of that with Alberto.”</p>
<p>“Oh”, he said, comprehension dawning on his face. “I didn’t think of that, I’m sorry. I don’t… I don’t want to control you.”</p>
<p>“Thank you”, she said softly.</p>
<p>“Look”, he said, swallowing hard, and she could see that this was costing him. “I accept that I don’t have the right to tell you what you can or can’t do. But if you go out and get caught, I don’t know if I can rescue you again. You escaped from custody once before – if they manage to catch you again, you won’t be a low-security prisoner anymore: you’ll be a flight risk, and they’ll guard you much more carefully. It would be so hard to free you a second time. So <em>please</em> stay here, Raquel, where you’re safe. I’m… I’m not ordering you. I’m asking you, I’m <em>begging </em>you. Please.”</p>
<p>There was such anguish in his eyes that she relented – she couldn’t cause him pain like this. She squeezed his hand.  </p>
<p>“Alright. Alright, I won’t go outside again. You were right, it was a stupid risk and I shouldn’t have done it in the first place. But taking orders from you isn’t easy – it just feels so terribly familiar, after Alberto… I accept that you’re my superior in regards to the operation, but we’re still in a relationship. That doesn’t just go away.”</p>
<p>He nodded. “I thought it would be clear what falls within the bounds of the heist, and what would fall under our relationship, but it’s not.”</p>
<p>“No”, she agreed. “Sometimes it’s not.”</p>
<p>“Do we work that out on a case-by-case basis? Are we… are we going to have more fights like this?”</p>
<p>He looked so upset at the mere thought of more fights that she wanted to reassure him that they wouldn’t, but she knew she couldn’t promise that.</p>
<p>She hesitated. “I’m afraid we might.”</p>
<p>He gave her a look of horror. “But that was <em>awful</em>. I mean, I don’t mind having an occasional argument with you, but the shouting…”</p>
<p>“No more shouting”, she said quickly. “These were exceptional circumstances, we were both very emotional, we’d both had a moment of panic just before and it just… made everything worse. Besides, you’ve only slept about an hour, you’re tired. I’m still tired too, and then there’s the stress of the past few days… honestly, there was bound to be some shouting at some point.”</p>
<p>“Does… does it mean there’s something really wrong?”</p>
<p>“With us?” she said, surprised. “No, of course not. Couples fight, Sergio, it happens. <em>Anyone </em>would fight under this much pressure.”</p>
<p>He looked relieved, but only a little. “How do we keep it from escalating, though?”</p>
<p>“Next time we get upset with each other, we just need to take some time to calm down first, and then talk about it like the reasonable people we are. I also think that we should try to reduce stressors. A little more sleep for both of us should make things somewhat easier.”</p>
<p>“Alright”, he nodded. “We can increase our sleeping time to seven hours. And from now on, I’d like you to tell me if you feel like I’m infringing on your personal freedom.” He grimaced. “I would hate it if I started reminding you of your ex-husband.”</p>
<p>“That’s never happened before, it was just this once. You’d never given me a direct order before and it just brought up bad memories.”</p>
<p>“I’ll try to limit direct orders in the future. We’re a team, you and I. We should make decisions together.”</p>
<p>She gave him a soft look. “Thank you.”</p>
<p>He leaned in and kissed her, then she said:</p>
<p>“You should sleep now.”</p>
<p>“Would you like me to get you some coffee before I go back to bed?”</p>
<p>“Yes, please”, she smiled.</p>
<p>He dressed himself properly, then went outside. As he walked along the street, the cool morning air seemed to clear his head, and when he looked back over the past few days, he saw a pattern emerge for him and Raquel. There were moments of calm and even boredom, but between those there were frequent highs and lows of extreme emotion: grief, anger, joy, despair, relief, triumph , fear, panic,… they had lived through all of those and more in only 72 hours, constantly tumbling from one intense emotional state into the next, and he felt the strain it put on their relationship. He had no experience in the matter, but even <em>he </em>could sense that this sort of constant turmoil wasn’t healthy. It wouldn’t break them – after all, he knew with an unshakeable sense of certainty, they were unbreakable – but it might leave cracks they would be unable to fix.</p>
<p>He couldn’t let that happen. He couldn’t allow the heist to take such a toll on their relationship that it would be impossible to repair all the damage afterwards – he didn’t want to walk away from this with her, only to feel that they could never again be what they had been before the operation, everything just a little bit worse, just a little bit strained, the memory of the heist a grain of sand forever causing friction between them. He realized they desperately needed to restore balance, to normalize things, but how? He wished they could just pause the heist for a while, just return to being <em>them</em>, a normal couple doing normal things, a few hours spent just in each other’s company without the extreme pressure of the operation. Then he smiled as an idea struck him. Yes – yes, that might work. As he entered the coffee shop and stood in line, his mind started racing to work out the necessary steps he’d have to take, and by the time he left with a coffee in hand, he felt quite satisfied. His relationship with her was the best thing that had ever happened to him – a thing of beauty, of smooth and shining perfection – and while he accepted that the heist might unbalance them sometimes, he had to try to keep it from doing permanent damage. He had to try his hardest, and the little plan he had would be a good start.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Interlude</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi everyone! I hope you and your loved ones are all healthy and safe. I'm sorry that it took me so long to get this chapter up. Depression has been kicking my butt, and some days it was simply impossible to write. I considered abandoning this fic altogether, but I received some well-timed encouragement from my lovely friends in the fandom, both here on AO3 and on other platforms, which persuaded me to keep going. I'm always grateful for every comment I get, but I want to give an extra thank you to the people who commented on any of my fics over the past two weeks. I can't tell you how much it meant to me, and how much it helped ♥ You're the reason this chapter exists at all.</p>
<p>To that effect, I'd like to encourage you to reach out to each other in these difficult times. Little acts of kindness and connection are more important now than ever, and you never know who might need it. Leave kudos, leave comments, even if it's only a few words. If you're too shy to comment and you've already left kudos, you can always just comment with a heart or another emoji, I promise you it will be appreciated. Only do this if you have the energy for it, of course -- many people are struggling with their mental health, like me, and it's okay if you can't engage with others right now. Take care of yourself ♥</p>
<p>I'm going to try to continue this fic as well as I can, but I can't promise a weekly update anymore. Some days I can write, some days I can't, and I can't predict them. I promise I will try my hardest! I hope you enjoy this chapter -- it's extra long to make up for the wait, and extremely fluffy! :D</p>
<p>I want to thank my lovely fandom friends -- you know who you are, girls. Thank you for reaching out to me, for encouraging me, for leaving comments and saying nice things about my writing. You're all amazing ♥</p>
<p>As always, but more than ever, I have to thank thegirloverseas. She's proven herself to be not only the best beta reader anyone could wish for, but the best friend as well. Thank you for always being there for me, for encouraging me to continue writing, for all the nice things you do for me, for all the times you cheered me up and made me feel better. You're the best. Yes, really. </p>
<p>Love you all, so much ♥ Stay safe.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p>
<p>Sergio woke up around noon, eager to set his plans into motion. For all the ups and downs of the heist, there were also long, long hours of doing nothing except stare at the screens, unable to even talk to Raquel because they had to keep listening to the transmission of Angel’s bug, and it bored him to tears. He was glad to have something to do today, and he hoped what he had planned would be able to distract Raquel a bit from feeling cooped up, he hoped it would make her feel better. But even aside from that, he was really looking forward to it himself. He got up and quickly got dressed, ready to get started.</p>
<p>He walked over to where Raquel was sitting in front of the monitors, and bent down to kiss her.</p>
<p>“Good morning”, she smiled.</p>
<p>“Good afternoon”, he smiled back. “How was your shift?”</p>
<p>“Boring”, she sighed.</p>
<p>“Everything under control in the Mint?”</p>
<p>“Yes, nothing noteworthy.”</p>
<p>“How about in the command center?”</p>
<p>“Elena is getting restless. She’s annoyed with the lack of progress.”</p>
<p>He nodded. “Let’s keep her busy this afternoon, then. I think it’s time we activate Plan Valencia.”</p>
<p>“That’s a good idea.”</p>
<p>He kissed her hair. “You call Berlin to set things in motion and I’ll go get us something to eat.”</p>
<p>…</p>
<p>He got back just in time to see Tokyo, Helsinki and Berlin on the screen fire rounds into rolls of paper while Nairobi was encouraging the hostages to scream. He grinned and sat down in front of the desk, ready for the call he knew would come. And sure enough…</p>
<p>“Hello Inspector.”</p>
<p>“What the <em>hell </em>is going on in there?”</p>
<p>He exchanged a satisfied smile with Raquel.</p>
<p>“I don’t know what you mean?”</p>
<p>“Those gunshots! What happened?”</p>
<p>“Oh”, he said lightly. “That. We were just testing some weapons that had gotten wet, but they worked perfectly. Thank you for asking.”</p>
<p>Her tone was icy. “That’s bullshit and you know it. Did you hurt any hostages?”</p>
<p>He raised his eyebrows. “Inspector, I’m frankly shocked that you’re still doubting my truthfulness. I thought we were past that. I thought we had established a relationship based on mutual trust.”</p>
<p>“How can I trust you when you tell me obvious lies?”</p>
<p>“That wasn’t a lie, Inspector, I don’t know why you would think that.”</p>
<p>“It wasn’t just a lie, Professor, it was a <em>clumsy </em>lie. Please don’t insult my intelligence.”</p>
<p>Sergio chuckled. “I would <em>never</em>.”</p>
<p>“So what really happened?”</p>
<p>“I already told you.”</p>
<p>“Fine”, she snapped. “If you insist that those guns weren’t used on the hostages, then you won’t mind if I make a request.”</p>
<p>“I’m not an unreasonable man, Inspector. I will happily comply with any request of yours.”</p>
<p>“Really?” she said drily. “How about you surrender then?”</p>
<p>He grinned. “Except <em>that.</em>”</p>
<p>“Then I want proof of life for every hostage. Recorded today, in front of a television transmitting live. This is non-negotiable.”</p>
<p>“I wouldn’t dare argue over such a sensitive issue. We’ll comply with your request.”</p>
<p>“Good. You have one hour to send them over.”</p>
<p>The moment Sergio hung up, Raquel was calling the Mint.</p>
<p>“Rio? Prepare the proof of life, the way we discussed it for Plan Valencia.”</p>
<p>“You got it, Lisbon.”</p>
<p>Sergio smiled at Raquel.</p>
<p>“Alright. Let’s see if this works.”</p>
<p>…</p>
<p>Forty minutes later, Rio was sending the edited video footage of the hostages to the command center. Raquel and Sergio listened closely to the transmission of Angel’s bug to see if the police would discover that the footage had been tampered with. They weren’t disappointed.</p>
<p>“What’s the problem?” they heard Elena say.</p>
<p>“The tech guys analyzed the video”, a voice answered. “Apparently, it’s been edited.”</p>
<p>“Why am I not surprised?” Elena said drily. “What did they do?”</p>
<p>“They superimposed footage of the news over old images. We can’t take this as proof of life.”</p>
<p>“Those gunshots are the headline of every news outlet in the country”, Colonel Prieto said. “And the office of the president asks that we go in.”</p>
<p>Sergio tensed. He was counting on Elena’s level head to keep the police from entering by force. He wasn’t disappointed.</p>
<p>“Give me another chance to obtain proof of life”, they heard Elena say.</p>
<p>“The president insists we go in <em>now</em>.”</p>
<p>“They still have a machine gun. The hostages are still wearing the same suits and masks. If we enter by force, people will get hurt.”</p>
<p>“Alright”, came Prieto’s answer. “You have one more chance.”</p>
<p>“Put that bastard on the phone”, Elena ordered, and Sergio grinned.</p>
<p>“Why Inspector, what a pleasure to hear from you again so soon.”</p>
<p>“I’m afraid this isn’t going to be a very pleasant conversation.”</p>
<p>“But <em>every </em>conversation with you is a pleasure. How could it not be?”</p>
<p>“Stop your nonsense”, Elena said sharply, and Raquel shot him a look that seemed to agree with her. “You think you’re smart, tampering with those proof of life messages?”</p>
<p>He refused to let her dictate the terms of the conversation, however.</p>
<p>“Please, Inspector”, he said, his tone a little stern. “We can’t reduce our relationship to dry accusations like this. You haven’t even asked me how I’m doing, or how my day has been so far.”</p>
<p>“You really think this is the time for small talk?”</p>
<p>“I think it’s never wrong to be polite.”</p>
<p>“If you’ve tampered with the proof of life messages, I can only conclude that…”</p>
<p>“No”, he cut her off. “Try again.”</p>
<p>“<em>Look</em>”, Elena said, clearly trying hard to keep the frustration out of her voice. “Do you <em>want </em>us to send in the tanks?”</p>
<p>“No”, he said. “But neither do you, so I suggest that you try a little polite conversation.”</p>
<p>She paused, then took a deep breath. “How has your day been, Professor?”</p>
<p>Sergio smiled. “Quite satisfactory, thank you for asking. How has <em>your </em>day been so far, Inspector?”</p>
<p>“Well”, she said calmly, “I have the great misfortune that my job requires me to communicate regularly with a guy who’s incredibly full of himself. It’s testing my patience.”</p>
<p>“Ah”, he said, his voice full of sympathy. “<em>Men.</em>”</p>
<p>“Quite”, she said crisply. “Professor, would you be willing to discuss the footage you sent over?”</p>
<p>“How could I refuse such a polite request?”</p>
<p>“We can’t accept it as proof of life.”</p>
<p>“Then what do you propose?”</p>
<p>“We need to enter the Mint to ascertain that the hostages are all safe and sound.”</p>
<p>Sergio and Raquel exchanged a triumphant look.</p>
<p>“You want us to let you in?”</p>
<p>“Yes”, she said. “No tanks, no patrols of armed men, just me.”</p>
<p>“Will you be unarmed?”</p>
<p>“Of course, but I want to see every single one of those hostages.”</p>
<p>“Agreed”, Sergio said, smiling in satisfaction. “We will welcome you with open arms.”</p>
<p>“And a number of M16’s, I expect.”</p>
<p>He chuckled. “Can’t be too careful, Inspector.”</p>
<p>He put down the phone, and Raquel nodded.</p>
<p>“That will keep her busy for a few hours.”</p>
<p>“Yes”, Sergio said, with a feeling of satisfaction. This would give him time to arrange things without having to worry about Elena calling unexpectedly.</p>
<p>He got up. “I’ll leave you to observe the proceedings. I’m going out for a bit.”</p>
<p>“Why?” </p>
<p>He smiled mysteriously. “That’s a surprise.”</p>
<p>She raised her eyebrows. “A surprise? What kind of surprise?”</p>
<p>“I can’t tell you that.”</p>
<p>She laughed. “Sergio, we’re in the middle of a massive heist. Is this really the right time for surprises?”</p>
<p>“Yes”, he said decidedly. “It is.”</p>
<p>She leaned forward, smiling. “Come on, tell me what it is.”</p>
<p>“I don’t think you know how surprises work.”</p>
<p>“I think you <em>want </em>to tell me, though.”</p>
<p>“I don’t, and you can’t make me.”</p>
<p>She tilted her head. “You think so? Don’t forget that I’m a trained police officer.”</p>
<p>He gave her an amused look. “How will that make me talk?”</p>
<p>“I have my methods.”</p>
<p>She got up and walked towards him, then she wrapped her arms around his neck and looked up at him appealingly.</p>
<p>“Tell me where you’re going?”</p>
<p>He suppressed a smile. “That’s not going to work.”</p>
<p>The next moment, though, she ran her fingers through his hair and started stroking the back of his neck, and he involuntarily closed his eyes to savor her caresses.</p>
<p>“Tell me where you’re going”, she murmured.</p>
<p>He shook himself. “No.”</p>
<p>She brushed her lips past his ear, and a shiver ran down his spine.</p>
<p>“Please?”</p>
<p>He swallowed hard. “No.”</p>
<p>She pressed her body against his and started kissing his neck, and he felt his own body respond immediately and enthusiastically. He groaned softly.</p>
<p>“This isn’t fair.”</p>
<p>“Then tell me.”</p>
<p>She ran one of her hands down his chest, over his stomach, and he inhaled sharply as she started stroking him through his pants.</p>
<p>“I don’t think these are sanctioned interrogation techniques”, he said, his voice strained.</p>
<p>She laughed softly and kissed his neck again.</p>
<p>“But are they working?”</p>
<p>He closed his eyes and whispered: “Stop it, Raquel, you know I can’t resist you.”</p>
<p>“Then don’t”, she murmured in his ear. “Tell me where you’re going.”</p>
<p>He made a supreme effort to shake off the effect of her nearness, then he steeled himself, grabbed her by the shoulders and pushed her away, keeping her at arm’s length.</p>
<p>“No”, he said firmly. “You won’t break me this easily.”</p>
<p>“Too bad”, she grinned.</p>
<p>He carefully released her. “Stay back!”</p>
<p>She laughed and sat down behind the screens.</p>
<p>“Fine, fine. You go do what you have to do.”</p>
<p>He swiveled her chair, stole one kiss, then quickly left the hangar, smiling.</p>
<p>…</p>
<p>When he came back in a few hours later, he put his bag of things behind a barrel by the door so she wouldn’t see it, then walked up to the desk, where she was still sitting behind the screens.</p>
<p>“How did it go with Elena and the hostages?”</p>
<p>“Smoothly”, she said. “Though Elena looks pretty annoyed at how much time it’s all taking. I think you can expect another angry phone call once she gets out.”</p>
<p>He grinned. “Excellent.”</p>
<p>She yawned. “Oh, I’m so bored and tired.”</p>
<p>He gave her a sideways look, then suggested carefully: “Why don’t you take a nap?”</p>
<p>She nodded. “Actually, that’s a good idea. You can sit here and be bored for a while.”</p>
<p>As she got into bed, Sergio watched Elena leave the Mint. He waited until he was sure Raquel was sleeping, then set the next part of his plan into motion. He picked up the phone and called the tent.</p>
<p>“So, Inspector, as you could see, all of the hostages are alive and well.”</p>
<p>She sounded distinctly annoyed at him. “You set all of this up just to make me waste time, didn’t you?”</p>
<p>He grinned. “Astute as always, Inspector.”</p>
<p>“Why are you calling me?”</p>
<p>“Well”, he said. “I have a proposition.”</p>
<p>…</p>
<p>When Raquel woke up from her nap, she felt better than she had in days. She stretched luxuriously, then got out of bed to wash at the sink. As she was washing her hair, she wished yet again that they could have installed a shower, but this former garage simply didn’t have the plumbing for one. When she was clean, she put on fresh clothes and walked over to Sergio, sitting at the desk. He looked up and smiled.</p>
<p>“How was your nap?” he asked. “Are you feeling better?”</p>
<p>“Yes”, she said. “Much better.”</p>
<p>“Good”, he said, getting up. He drew her close to him and kissed her softly. “Are you ready for your surprise?”</p>
<p>She’d already forgotten all about that, but she smiled in delight as she remembered. “Yes.”</p>
<p>She wondered if maybe he’d gotten her something to make up for their fight that morning, like flowers or chocolates. Instead, he bent his head and whispered in her ear:</p>
<p>“Do you trust me?”</p>
<p>The question surprised her. “In what way?”</p>
<p>He smiled. “In general.”</p>
<p>She looked up at him, and the look in his eyes was warm and steady.</p>
<p>“Yes”, she said. “Of course I trust you.”</p>
<p>He drew one of his ties out of his pocket. “Then I’d like to blindfold you.”</p>
<p>She raised her eyebrows. “That’s… that’s not what I was expecting.”</p>
<p>“I need to arrange a few things, and I don’t want you to see until it’s ready.”</p>
<p>“Can’t I just turn around?” she laughed, and he grinned.</p>
<p>“Where’s the fun in that?”</p>
<p>“Alright”, she smiled. “Blindfold me then.”</p>
<p>He gestured towards a chair he’d placed at the side of the room. “Sit.”</p>
<p>She sat down and felt a delicious flutter of excitement in her stomach as he placed the blindfold over her eyes and the world went dark. She felt him tie a knot, then she shivered as suddenly his warm breath was at her ear.</p>
<p>“Is that alright?” he murmured, and she nodded, a little breathless.</p>
<p>“Good”, he said, then he started kissing her neck.</p>
<p>She gasped, then hummed in contentment and tilted her head.</p>
<p>“You smell nice”, he murmured, then he straightened up. “A little patience now.”</p>
<p>He walked away from her, and she heard him move things around, but she couldn’t quite place any of the sounds. What <em>on earth </em>could he be doing? After a few minutes, she was desperately curious. She couldn’t resist the temptation to take a peek, just for a moment… She lifted her hand slowly to her blindfold.</p>
<p>“Raquel!”</p>
<p>She jumped and quickly lowered her hand again.</p>
<p>“I was just… my nose itched”, she lied.</p>
<p>“No it didn’t”, he said, amused, and she heard him walk over to her.</p>
<p>She sat up straight as she sensed his presence in front of her.</p>
<p>“You were peeking”, he admonished her, his voice soft but stern.</p>
<p>She suppressed a smile. “You have no proof of that.”</p>
<p>He bent closer until his mouth was at her ear.</p>
<p>“If you can’t control yourself, I’m going to have to tie your hands too.”</p>
<p>She shivered in delight as he kissed her neck again, then he murmured:</p>
<p>“Will you behave?”</p>
<p>“I don’t know”, she smiled. “What do I get if I behave?”</p>
<p>He sounded amused. “You want something in return for not acting like a child?”</p>
<p>“Yes”, she said, unabashed. “What can you offer me?”</p>
<p>“I’m already preparing a surprise for you, isn’t that enough?”</p>
<p>“I don’t know what it is, though. I don’t think that’s going to motivate me sufficiently. Offer me something else.”</p>
<p>He seemed to think about it for a moment, then he said:</p>
<p>“How about this…?”</p>
<p>He placed his fingers under her chin and tilted her face up. The next moment, she felt his lips brush against hers, the softest, most fleeting sensation, making her open her lips with a sigh and lean forward for more.</p>
<p>“Do you want a kiss?” he murmured.</p>
<p>“Yes”, she whispered.</p>
<p>“Would that be… sufficient motivation to be patient?”</p>
<p>“I don’t know”, she smiled. “Let’s see how good it is, first.”</p>
<p>He laughed. “<em>Excuse</em> me?”</p>
<p>“You’re not buying me with a quick peck on the cheek, is all I’m saying. Make it a decent kiss.”</p>
<p>“Hmm”, he murmured. “Let me see what I can do…”</p>
<p>She still couldn’t see him, and he kept her waiting for several long moments, tense with eager anticipation. Then he placed his fingers under her chin again and ran his thumb slowly over her lips, and she loved that he was taking his time, building up to it. Then he pressed his mouth against hers, softly at first, but when she parted her lips, he deepened the kiss with one hand in her hair, and she reached up blindly to wrap her arms around his neck as she returned his kiss with enthusiasm. He kissed her harder, more demandingly, and she felt the inevitable effect his kisses always had on her as her body woke up to him, her heart beating faster, her skin craving his touch, and a deep, vibrant thrum of desire starting up in her lower belly. He kept his mouth on hers for several long moments, then he pulled back, leaving her feeling dazed and slightly breathless.</p>
<p>“Good enough?” he asked her.</p>
<p>She swallowed hard. “Yes.”</p>
<p>He nuzzled her ear. “Will you behave now?”</p>
<p>“Yes”, she whispered.</p>
<p>“Good”, he said, then pressed one more soft kiss to her lips.</p>
<p>She heard him move away from her again, and she hoped to <em>god </em>his surprise was of the bedroom variety. Then she remembered with a distinct feeling of disappointment that they couldn’t afford to be distracted from the screens for more than a few minutes, so the hour-long lovemaking session she really craved was out of the question. She sighed and promised herself they would make up for it – <em>more </em>than make up for it – once they were out of here and safe on their island.</p>
<p>Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, and she stiffened in alarm and reached up to take off her blindfold, but he was next to her immediately to push down her hand and say:</p>
<p>“Don’t worry, this is part of the surprise.”</p>
<p>She heard him open the door and exchange a few words with someone, but she couldn’t understand what they were saying. The door closed again, and a little later she saw the light at the edges of her blindfold change from the usual cold white of the fluorescent lighting to something much warmer, and she frowned in confusion. <em>What </em>was he doing?</p>
<p>Then she heard him walk over to her and she felt him take her hand.</p>
<p>“Come with me”, he said softly, then guided her by her hand to the middle of the room, where he sat her down on another chair. He came to stand behind her to undo the knot of her blindfold, and her eyebrows went up in surprise as the fabric fell away.</p>
<p>She was sitting at a small table, set for two, with a candle in the middle and plates of food that smelled heavenly. There were glasses of wine, and the tablecloth was covered in small, delicately folded origami flowers. The light was soft and warm, and she turned her head to see several strings of fairy lights.</p>
<p>“What… what is this?”</p>
<p>“A date”, he smiled.</p>
<p>“But Sergio, we can’t have a date! We’re in the middle of a massive operation, we can’t afford to be distracted from…”</p>
<p>She looked over at the screens, then saw with a jolt of alarm that they were black and silent.</p>
<p>“What happened?” she asked him urgently, getting up. “Did something malfunction?”</p>
<p>He pushed her back down.</p>
<p>“No, no, don’t worry. I turned them off.”</p>
<p>“<em>What</em>?”</p>
<p>“We don’t need to watch the screens tonight”, he explained, walking over to them. “Look.”</p>
<p>He turned on one of the screens and she could see the hostages gathered in a group in the museum, guarded by the team. He turned on the second screen and showed Oslo and Helsinki guarding the hostages in the boiler room.</p>
<p>“The entire team is watching over the hostages tonight”, he said. “So we don’t have to keep an eye on things.”</p>
<p>“What about the hostages operating the presses?”</p>
<p>“The presses are running at reduced capacity.”</p>
<p>She stared at him. “But… but we said the presses would <em>always </em>run at full force, except when maintenance is needed.”</p>
<p>“They’ll be running on their own for a few hours so all the hostages could be gathered together and guarded.”</p>
<p>“But Sergio”, she said, astounded. “That will cost us <em>so</em> <em>much</em> money.”</p>
<p>He nodded. “Everything we lose tonight will be taken out of my share. Nobody else will earn any less because of this.”</p>
<p>“But we’re talking <em>millions</em> here!”</p>
<p>He looked at her steadily. “I don’t care. It’s worth it to have an evening with you.”</p>
<p>She was speechless.</p>
<p>He turned the screens off again. “With all the hostages in one place, we don’t have to watch the cameras tonight. If something goes wrong now, there’s nothing we can do about it anyway, and they can still call us if necessary.”</p>
<p>“But what about the police? Wait, actually, why am I not hearing the transmission from Angel’s bug?”</p>
<p>“Because Angel is at home. The police won’t bother us tonight.”</p>
<p>“How could you possibly know that?”</p>
<p>He smiled. “I negotiated a truce with Elena. Twelve hours.”</p>
<p>“And she just accepted it?”</p>
<p>“Her team is tired, so she didn’t need much persuading, but I also offered her five hostages in return. We’ll release them tomorrow. She’s respecting the truce: I heard her send everybody home through Angel’s bug.”</p>
<p>He came to stand next to her and smiled.</p>
<p>“So that means we have nothing to do or to worry about for the next few hours.”</p>
<p>She grabbed his tie and pulled him down for a kiss.</p>
<p>“But <em>why</em>?” she whispered. “Why are you doing this?”</p>
<p>“Because I missed you”, he said softly.</p>
<p>“What do you mean?” she laughed. “We’ve been cooped up here together for four days. You’ve barely spent an hour away from me.”</p>
<p>“But our attention was always on the screens”, he said. “I couldn’t <em>really </em>be with you. I couldn’t hold you. I couldn’t sleep next to you. I couldn’t even talk to you for more than ten minutes because we were always listening to that stupid bug. Tonight, for a few hours at least, we won’t think about the operation and just enjoy each other’s company.”</p>
<p>He got up and walked over to the record player, and a moment later a soft song started playing, making the atmosphere complete. She was still staring at him in astonishment as he sat down across from her and smiled.</p>
<p>“Eat”, he said. “Before it gets cold.”</p>
<p>She turned her attention to the food, and noticed for the first time that this was definitely not their usual take-out.</p>
<p>“Where did this come from?”</p>
<p>“From the best restaurant in the neighborhood”, he said with a satisfied look. “They usually don’t deliver, of course, but I persuaded them to make an exception.”</p>
<p>He held out his glass of wine to her, and she lifted her own glass and clinked it against his.</p>
<p>“To a successful heist”, she said.</p>
<p>“And to a night away from it”, he added.</p>
<p>They sipped their wine, and he said:</p>
<p>“I wanted to get champagne, but it felt like tempting fate… like we would be celebrating the success of the operation before anything is certain.”</p>
<p>“I agree”, she nodded.</p>
<p>They started eating, and she enjoyed the taste of actual, proper food for a change.</p>
<p>“Where did you get those lights?” she asked him, looking at the strings of fairy lights which were making the usually cold and dark room look almost cozy.</p>
<p>“From the back-up location”, he said. “I went by there this afternoon to pick them up.”</p>
<p>She lifted one of the small origami flowers from the table.</p>
<p>“And these?”</p>
<p>“I wanted to get you proper flowers”, he explained, a little apologetically. “But the only flower store in the neighborhood was closed, so… I made these.”</p>
<p>“But that must have taken you hours!”</p>
<p>He shrugged. “I had time while you were sleeping.”</p>
<p>She smiled at him. “I love them.”</p>
<p>Suddenly, his phone pinged. He picked it up and read the message.</p>
<p>“Who is it?” she asked.</p>
<p>“Elena. She says she’s unexpectedly free tonight and asks me if I want to go for that drink later.”</p>
<p>She stiffened, but tried to keep her voice neutral as she carefully asked: “Will you?”</p>
<p>“What?” he said, looking up at her with a frown. “No, of course not. Tonight is for you and me.”</p>
<p>She felt a warm glow in her stomach as he typed a quick reply, then turned off his phone and put it away.</p>
<p>“You know”, she said, as they returned to their food. “I’m a little surprised that you got her to agree to a date.”</p>
<p>He looked mildly offended. “Hey! I’m not <em>totally </em>devoid of charm. After all, I managed to get <em>you</em>, didn’t I, and you can’t keep your hands off me for five minutes.”</p>
<p>She laughed. “Well yes, you’re cute, that isn’t the issue. It’s just that you seem so uncomfortable around women, like when you interact with Tokyo or Nairobi.”</p>
<p>“True”, he nodded. “Most women do make me uncomfortable.”</p>
<p>“But not Elena?”</p>
<p>He frowned in thought. “She’s not really a <em>woman</em>, though.”</p>
<p>Raquel raised her eyebrows. “No? What is she then, a particularly attractive gorilla?”</p>
<p>He chuckled. “I didn’t mean it <em>that</em> way, I just meant that she’s more of a… a puzzle, you know? A code I have to crack. I’m not interacting with her socially, I’m interacting with her in a… professional capacity, of sorts.”</p>
<p>She nodded, then smiled. “Did I make you uncomfortable before we were together?”</p>
<p>“Oh <em>god yes</em>”, he said. “But in an entirely different way than Tokyo or Nairobi.”</p>
<p>She tilted her head. “Why are you uncomfortable around women in the first place?”</p>
<p>He considered this. “I just… haven’t been around them much, I suppose. So I never really got to know them as… people. They’ve always been a bit of a mystery, I just never know what to say to them, and I’m never really sure what they want from me. Flirting in particular makes me uncomfortable, because I don’t know how to flirt back and I don’t want to, either.”</p>
<p>“I understand”, she nodded. “So when I flirted with you…?”</p>
<p>“That was very different”, he said. “Because I was so attracted to you, even though it took me a while to realize, and I didn’t know what to do with that. It was all so new to me. But as a <em>person</em>… you made me feel so comfortable.”</p>
<p>“Really?” she smiled, and he nodded.</p>
<p>“Talking to you was so easy. It always felt so natural to be next to you, to have you touch me, to allow you into my personal space or my room.”</p>
<p>He paused for a moment, thinking.</p>
<p>“You know how it feels for me to interact with other people?”</p>
<p>“Tell me.”</p>
<p>“I have a finite amount of social energy, and every interaction costs me a bit of that. Some people require a lot of energy, others only a little.”</p>
<p>“Do I cost you only a little?”</p>
<p>He gazed at her steadily.</p>
<p>“Raquel”, he said softly. “When I’m with you…”</p>
<p>He hesitated. “I’m afraid the best way to describe it isn’t very romantic.”</p>
<p>“That’s okay”, she smiled. “Tell me anyway.”</p>
<p>He took a breath. “When I’m with you… it feels like when you plug your phone into the charger. You don’t <em>cost </em>me energy, Raquel, you <em>give </em>me energy, you give it so freely. I’ve never felt that with anyone before.”</p>
<p>She felt so pleased as he reached across the table and touched her hand, looking at her with a soft smile. The heist had created a rather painful distance between them over the past few days, but tonight it felt like they were at the house in Toledo again, the Professor far away, and he was only Sergio, soft and sweet, <em>her </em>Sergio, the man she’d fallen in love with.</p>
<p>“I spent a long time trying to resist you, Raquel”, he said softly. “But in the end, what I felt when I was with you was just too big, too strong, too <em>remarkable</em> to resist.”</p>
<p>She smiled at him, then shuddered at a sudden memory. “Oh, all of those weeks we tried resisting were so horrible. Pretending to be just friends when all I wanted to do was kiss you silly.”</p>
<p>He gave her a serious look. “Trying to stay away from you was the hardest thing I’d ever done in my life. It was… a physical impossibility.”</p>
<p>“That’s sweet”, she smiled, but he shook his head.</p>
<p>“No, I’m not trying to be sweet, I’m stating a fact.” He frowned at her. “You can’t imagine what it was like for me, Raquel. You… well, you’ve pointed out to me that I need to be in control of things, and if that’s true for my environment, it’s a thousand times more so for <em>myself</em>. It was so important to me to be in control of my mind, my emotions and my body – I established that control when I was in my twenties, and it hadn’t wavered in <em>years</em>. And suddenly there you were, and… and I <em>lost </em>it, all of it, and so completely. I couldn’t stop thinking about you, and I was experiencing alarming physical symptoms whenever you came near me.”</p>
<p>She grinned, and he chuckled.</p>
<p>“Yes, sure, laugh at me, it’s funny <em>now. </em>But it was terrifying for me back then! The thing is, I think I could have ignored all of that – not completely, but sufficiently – if it hadn’t been for the way you made me <em>feel</em>. You didn’t even have to touch me, talk to me, even look at me, for me to feel it. Just being in the same room as you was enough to experience it: that energy you give me, that sense of… of a switch inside of me flicking from ‘off’ to ‘on’, that… that desire to live, to <em>live</em>, Raquel… I’d never felt it so strongly. I couldn’t ignore that. I couldn’t let it slip away, I couldn’t let you just disappear from my life.”</p>
<p>She listened to him talk with the softest feeling. He didn’t often talk about his feelings, and definitely not with this many words, and she was loving every second of it.</p>
<p>He continued: “And from the moment I kissed you, I was sure.”</p>
<p>“Sure about what?” she smiled. She knew perfectly well, because she’d been sure about it too, but she still liked to hear him say it.</p>
<p>“That what I felt for you would never go away again. That you made everything better. That you made everything right.”</p>
<p>She couldn’t not kiss him after that. She got up and walked around the table, and he shifted his chair back so he could pull her into his lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he cupped her face between his hands and kissed her so tenderly it made something flutter in her chest. Then he pulled back and whispered:</p>
<p>“You still do, you know. Make everything better.”</p>
<p>She leaned her forehead against his. “You make everything better too.”</p>
<p>“Raquel”, he said, his voice low. “I’m so sorry for everything I’ve put you through the past few days. The worry and the fights and the… the awful things I’ve said to you. You need to know that this is how I <em>really </em>feel, always, underneath it all.”</p>
<p>“I know”, she said softly. “I do. But it’s nice to hear you say it.”</p>
<p>They stayed like that for a little while, just leaning their foreheads together. Then she shook herself and drew back with a smile to give him one more kiss.</p>
<p>“Let’s not let this good food get cold”, she said, then went back to her own chair.</p>
<p>“So”, she smiled as she sat back down and picked up her fork again. “You were sure right from the start, were you?”</p>
<p>“Yes”, he smiled back. “I was.”</p>
<p>“Didn’t you tell me you merged our files very early on?”</p>
<p>He nodded. “The moment we got together.”</p>
<p>“That does surprise me”, she admitted. “You’d never been in a relationship before… didn’t you want to know if it would work out first?”</p>
<p>He considered this for a moment, then shook his head. “We’d been living together for months. I knew you, and you knew me, it was clear that we were compatible. And the better I got to know you, the more I liked you. So I was fairly certain I’d only keep liking you even more as we went on.”</p>
<p>“Still, it was a big thing to do, merging our files.” She laughed. “You basically decided on that very first evening that we would live together.”</p>
<p>He gave her a warm look. “Well, it turns out that my instincts were right, because I haven’t regretted it for one moment.”</p>
<p>She smiled at him, but then turned more serious. “I do hope you realize that having a household with a child is very different from the way we were living in Toledo.”</p>
<p>He nodded soberly. “Yes, I do.”</p>
<p>She gave him a careful look. “How do you feel about becoming a parent? We haven’t really talked about it because of the preparations of the heist, but it’s getting close now…”</p>
<p>He pushed his glasses up his nose. “Well, I… I’m not sure how I feel about it, because I’m not sure what it will be like. I just hope it won’t be too much of a shock to your daughter to be kidnapped from her house one day to go live with a stranger.”</p>
<p>“She’ll get used to it”, Raquel reassured him. “And I’m sure she’ll like you.”</p>
<p>He looked up anxiously. “Do you think so? Because I have no experience with children at all.”</p>
<p>“She’s not a toddler anymore”, she said. “She’s an actual person you can talk to.”</p>
<p>Thinking about her daughter caused a sudden stab of longing to shoot through her, but she pushed it away. Soon, she told herself. Soon she’d be holding her again.</p>
<p>“What’s your parenting style like?” Sergio asked her, still with that same anxious look in his eyes. “I know it’s important to be on the same page about that.”</p>
<p>She frowned. “Uhm… I’m not sure.”</p>
<p>“Are you a permissive parent, or are you very strict?”</p>
<p>“Somewhere in the middle, I think?”</p>
<p>“Are rules to be followed at all times or can exceptions be made?”</p>
<p>“That… that really depends on the situation. And on the rule in question.”</p>
<p>“Should I read some parenting books before I interact with her?”</p>
<p>She smiled. “That’s very sweet of you. But different parenting books give wildly differing advice, and I can’t recommend you any that I know I’ll agree with.”</p>
<p>He gave her a look of horror. “You never read any?”</p>
<p>“I read a book about babies when I was pregnant, but ever since she was a toddler I’ve figured things out on my own, with some occasional advice from my mother.”</p>
<p>He frowned at her. “Raquel, this all sounds very vague. I’d prefer a consistent system I could follow.”</p>
<p>She laughed. “Sergio, raising a child is a messy business. I can’t present you with a book of rules to follow because I don’t have one, I’m sorry.”</p>
<p>“Then how do you know you’re doing it right?”</p>
<p>“I don’t”, she shrugged. “I just do what feels right in the moment.”</p>
<p>He considered her for a moment. “You don’t have a very firm grasp on this parenting business, do you?”</p>
<p>She laughed again. “No, I don’t. Nobody does.”</p>
<p>“That’s not very reassuring.”</p>
<p>She thought about it, then said: “Look at it this way: parenting is a system of trial and error. You try things out and you take note of what works.”</p>
<p>“Alright…” he said slowly. “I suppose that’s a valid procedure.”</p>
<p>“Just take your cue from me”, she said gently. “I’ll be there to help you and make sure things run smoothly.”</p>
<p>There was a clear look of relief in his eyes. “Thank you.”</p>
<p>She kept looking at him for a moment as he returned his attention to his plate, and there was a warm glow in her chest. He was so sweet to worry about this. There would be a period of mutual adjustment, of course, but she had no doubt at all that he and Paula would get along fine after a while, and she was confident that he would be a good parent. She smiled at the thought of their little family, then continued eating.</p>
<p>When the food was gone, she sighed in satisfaction and threw him a fond look.</p>
<p>“Looks like your meticulous organization skills aren’t just good for planning heists”, she smiled. “But still… I can’t believe you did all this for me.”</p>
<p>He smiled back. “Of course. But we’re not done yet.”</p>
<p>She raised her eyebrows. “There’s <em>more</em>?”</p>
<p>He nodded. “You wanted to go outside, right?”</p>
<p>“Yes, but…”</p>
<p>“Then we’re going outside.”</p>
<p>She stared at him in disbelief. “<em>What</em>? But Sergio, we had a <em>huge </em>fight only this morning because I went outside! And now you’re on board with it?”</p>
<p>“You were reckless”, he said. “When you go outside <em>with me</em>, the circumstances will be carefully controlled.”</p>
<p>She sat up straighter. “What do you propose?”</p>
<p>“First of all”, he said, “you’ll be wearing the wig again, the one you wore when we went into town for our date a few weeks ago.”</p>
<p>She wrinkled her nose. “The one that makes me look like Tokyo?”</p>
<p>He grinned. “Exactly. And fake glasses too. Second of all, this time it’s dark outside. That, in combination with the wig and glasses, will make you much harder to recognize.”</p>
<p>“What about police patrols?”</p>
<p>“We’re in the middle of a truce, remember? Elena sent everybody home, including the patrols. There’s only a skeleton crew left in the tent. There won’t be more police on the streets than usual, and we won’t go far.”</p>
<p>She was starting to feel excited. “Okay… so where are we going? We can’t go anywhere with people.”</p>
<p>He smiled mysteriously. “You’ll see.”</p>
<p>She put on the wig, glasses, and a jacket, then they went outside together. The moment the door of the hangar closed behind them, she felt such a sense of freedom, and she took a deep breath of the cool night air. He took her hand and led her down the street, and it felt so nice to walk next to him, like they were normal people out for an evening stroll. At the corner of the street, there was a small park, and he stopped in front of the gate.</p>
<p>“Here we are.”</p>
<p>“The park?” she said in surprise.</p>
<p>“Yes.”</p>
<p>“But it’s closed”, she remarked, pointing at the locked gate and a sign which said <em>The park closes at sundown.</em></p>
<p>“Not tonight”, he smiled, and drew a key out of his pocket. “Not for us.”</p>
<p>She turned to him in astonishment. “Where did you get that?”</p>
<p>“I tracked down the guy who’s responsible for closing the park every night, and persuaded him to let me have a copy of the key.”</p>
<p>She grinned in delight. “You’ve been very persuasive today.”</p>
<p>He grinned back as he opened the gate. “For the right cause, I can be.”</p>
<p>He locked the gate behind them, then they walked hand in hand into the park, the path in front of them lit by the light of a nearly full moon. She was enjoying being out of the hangar with every fiber of her being, and just when she thought the evening couldn’t get any better, they rounded a corner and in front of them was a little grassy spot surrounded by bushes. Spread out on the grass was a blanket, with a bottle of wine and two glasses.</p>
<p>“What’s this?” she exclaimed.</p>
<p>“Dessert”, he smiled. “You <em>have </em>to try this wine, it’s amazing.”</p>
<p>She grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him close.</p>
<p>“You’re just full of surprises tonight”, she murmured, looking up at him with shining eyes.</p>
<p>He looked down at her, his expression so warm she felt an answering flutter in her stomach. Oh, when he looked at her like that… She stood on her toes and kissed him, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing her body to his, and he closed his arms around her waist and held her close. They remained wrapped up in each other for several long moments, sinking into kiss after kiss, then they reluctantly broke apart and sat down on the blanket. He poured her a glass of wine, and her eyebrows went up in surprise when she tasted it. It was delicately sweet, with a slight sparkle, and truly delicious.</p>
<p>“This is ice wine”, he explained. “The grapes aren’t harvested until after the first frost. It’s perfect for a special occasion.”</p>
<p>They talked quietly as they sipped their wine, and when her glass was empty, she put it aside, then pulled off the itchy wig and lay down on the blanket with her head in his lap. He softly stroked her hair as she looked up at the clear night sky, marveling at the multitude of stars.</p>
<p>“You know”, she sighed. “Looking up at the stars always gives a nice sense of perspective.”</p>
<p>“In what way?”</p>
<p>“Don’t they make our earthly concerns seem small and unimportant?”</p>
<p>He tilted his head back and silently regarded the night sky for a few moments. Then he looked back down at her.</p>
<p>“Not really, no.”</p>
<p>“But there are entire galaxies out there, so much bigger than we are.”</p>
<p>“But empty, as far as we know.” He paused for a moment, struggling to put his thoughts into words. “The movements of the stars are impressive, sure, but they’re not <em>important</em>, because the stars don’t care. Our earthly concerns matter because we are here to care about them.”</p>
<p>She considered him. “You’re saying importance is relative.”</p>
<p>“Exactly. Importance, much like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. Somewhere in the universe, a supernova is exploding, destroying entire worlds. But if nobody has seen it, if nobody cares, is it any more important than our date tonight?”</p>
<p>She grinned up at him. “Our date tonight is more important than a supernova exploding?”</p>
<p>“It is”, he said earnestly. “Because <em>this </em>I care about.”</p>
<p>Her eyes were shining as she looked at him.</p>
<p>“I didn’t know you had such a philosophical side.”</p>
<p>“It’s not because I don’t usually share these thoughts that I don’t have them”, he mumbled, a little embarrassed.</p>
<p>“You know”, she said thoughtfully. “You don’t look like it, but really you’re a romantic.”</p>
<p>He frowned. “Is that a bad thing?”</p>
<p>“No”, she said softly. “It’s just unexpected because you’re so rational most of the time.” She lightly touched his hand. “Believe me, I love it.”</p>
<p>He contemplated her silently as he stroked her arm, so many more things he wanted to say. How could she think the stars were bigger than <em>they</em> were? Was there anything in the known universe that was softer than her skin? Was there any star brighter than her smile? Was there anything that could compare even in the <em>slightest </em>to the feeling he got when she kissed him? Were there physical forces more significant than what he felt for her, in this exact moment? It seemed absurd. What did the universe matter, so cold and distant, when she was here next to him, warm and full of life.</p>
<p>Her eyes shifted from the sky to him, and she smiled.</p>
<p>“Why are you looking at me like that?”</p>
<p>He countered her question: “Why are you looking at the stars?”</p>
<p>“Because they’re beautiful.”</p>
<p>“Yes”, he murmured. “Exactly.”</p>
<p>She sat up and gave him a delighted smile. When she looked at him, there was such a soft expression in his eyes that it made her ache a little as he reached out a hand and carefully tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. The look he was giving her tugged at something inside of her chest, and she leaned in to him without thinking, drawn to him beyond the possibility of resistance, the option of <em>not </em>kissing him not an option at all. She wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him deeply, and they fell back onto the blanket, she on top of him, and he sighed in contentment as he wrapped her in his arms.</p>
<p>“Do you want to make love right here?” she whispered between kisses. “Under the stars?”</p>
<p>He hesitated. “I see the romance of it, but don’t you think it’s a little cold?”</p>
<p>“Well, we don’t have to undress completely”, she smiled, “and a little physical activity would help keep us warm.”</p>
<p>He was still hesitating.</p>
<p>“Raquel”, he whispered, “you know I always, <em>always </em>want you, but… I want to do it right tonight. I don’t want to do it quickly, shivering in the cold, without being able to feel your skin – quietly, because the street is right behind those bushes.”</p>
<p>She smiled down at him. “How <em>do </em>you want to do it, then?”</p>
<p>He closed his arms tightly around her and rolled over so he was on top of her now. He bent his head to whisper in her ear:</p>
<p>“I want to take my time with you. I want to undress you so I can see you, so I can touch you, so I can cover every inch of you with kisses. I’ve had enough of quickies – I want to make love to you slowly, properly, and <em>very </em>thoroughly tonight.”</p>
<p>Shivers were running down her spine that had nothing to do with the cold, as the warm rumble of his voice made her imagine the most delicious things. Her desire for him, always right underneath the surface, was stirring as a glowing ember in her stomach, and she realized she wanted to take it slow, too, make it last, enjoy his kisses and caresses for what little time they had.</p>
<p>“Let’s go back inside”, she whispered.</p>
<p>“Are you sure?” he teased with a smile. “What about the fresh air?”</p>
<p>“Fresh air is overrated.”</p>
<p>He chuckled and got up, then held out his hand to help her up too, pulling her close to him in the process to kiss her.</p>
<p>“Thank you for this”, she said as he released her. “It was so nice to be out.”</p>
<p>He nuzzled her ear as he replied: “I’ll make it even nicer to go back in.”</p>
<p>She smiled broadly as they gathered their things and made their way back out of the park. When they stepped back into the hangar, she was grateful for the warmth inside, and she lost no time pulling him to the bed. When they got there, however, they were confronted by the fact that there was very little space between the top bunk and the lower – really just enough to lie down, not to sit up or even lie on top of each other. They looked at it in dismay for a bit, then Raquel said:</p>
<p>“Okay, that won’t do.”</p>
<p>“We really didn’t think there would have to be more than one person at a time in that bed.”</p>
<p>She spread out their park blanket on the floor next to the bed.</p>
<p>“Put the mattress on this, that will give us much more space.”</p>
<p>“Good idea”, he smiled, and he lifted the mattress onto the blanket. Then he went to the table where they’d had dinner, and collected the strings of fairy lights to arrange them around the mattress on the floor so it lay in a nest of warm, glowing lights.</p>
<p>“There”, he said, “that’s at least a little better.”</p>
<p>She smiled in delight as he walked over to her, then he came to stand close behind her. He carefully brushed her hair away from her neck, and she bent her head with a happy sigh as he started kissing her there. He took off her jacket, and she immediately started unbuttoning her shirt, but he plucked her hands away.</p>
<p>“I want to undress you”, he murmured in her ear, and she shot him a look over her shoulder.</p>
<p>“Alright, but don’t take too long.”</p>
<p>“We said we’d take it slow tonight.”</p>
<p>“We can take it slow once we’re actually naked. Any time we lose undressing is time we could spend <em>in the bed</em>.”</p>
<p>He smiled and kissed her neck again. “You’re always so impatient. It makes you miss out on one of the greatest joys in life.”</p>
<p>“Really?” she said, amused. “And what is that?”</p>
<p>He gently pulled her closer so her back was pressed against him, then put a hand under her chin and carefully tilted her head back so her throat was exposed. Then he started tracing his fingers over her skin, slowly, starting right underneath her chin and moving downwards in a straight line, his touch light as a feather on the delicate skin of her throat, then brushing past her collarbone, over her chest, drawing a line between her breasts, and she held her breath and didn’t move as his hand slid slowly, slowly downwards, trailing over her stomach, then even lower to dip between her legs and stroke the inside of her thighs. She closed her eyes, suddenly weak with longing, as he whispered in her ear:</p>
<p>“Anticipation.”</p>
<p>She shivered and pressed herself even closer against him. He kept his mouth close to her ear as he reached back up and opened the first button of her shirt.</p>
<p>“Time I spend undressing you isn’t time I <em>lose</em>”, he murmured. “I’m not saying it’s <em>the best </em>part, but it’s one of my favorite parts nonetheless.”</p>
<p>He opened the second button.</p>
<p>“It’s time I can spend looking forward to everything else…” A third button. “Imagining the things I want to do…”</p>
<p>She swallowed hard as he undid the next button.</p>
<p>“With every button I get closer to your skin”, he said softly. “That’s a lovely thought.”</p>
<p>Finally he reached the last button and her shirt hung open. He slipped it off one shoulder and kissed her there, then he pressed kisses along the line of her shoulder and the back of her neck to her other shoulder, and the shirt dropped to the ground. She was wearing a black top underneath, and instead of pulling it over her head straight away, he slipped his hand underneath it and stroked her stomach.</p>
<p>“You’re so soft”, he whispered. “I love touching you.”</p>
<p>Then, unexpectedly, he went down on his haunches behind her, pushed up her top and kissed her lower back. She smiled as he took her by the hips and turned her around to kiss her stomach. He started kissing her just above the waistband of her pants, then moved up and up and up, pushing her top up in the process to reveal more and more skin. He kissed his way up between her breasts and over her chest. Finally she raised her arms and he pulled her top off completely, but he kept kissing her, over her throat and along the line of her jaw until he reached her lips. She wrapped her arms around his neck and they sank into the kiss for a while as he stroked her bare back.</p>
<p>“See how undressing can be fun too?” he said as they broke apart, and she smiled and nodded, running her fingers through his hair.</p>
<p>“Maybe I don’t mind it that much after all…”</p>
<p>“Good”, he smiled back.</p>
<p>“Do I get to undress you now?”</p>
<p>His smile broadened. “Of course.”</p>
<p>She looked into his eyes as she slowly undid his tie, then pushed his jacket off his shoulders. As her fingers started on the buttons of his shirt, she lifted her face and started kissing his neck, and he heaved a sigh of contentment. As she opened his buttons one by one, she let her mouth follow her fingers, kissing her way down his chest and stomach. As she kneeled down in front of him, she could see that he was hard, and she pressed a kiss to him through the fabric of his pants, making him gasp.</p>
<p>“Oh, Raquel…”</p>
<p>She looked up at him with sparkling eyes.</p>
<p>“Oh no”, she teased. “Anticipation, remember? It’s your favorite part.”</p>
<p>He laughed and the tension broke as he pulled her back up and swept her into his arms to kiss her. He allowed her to unbutton her own pants, but he still insisted on kneeling down in front of her take them off, so he could press soft kisses to the inside of her thighs that made her sigh. He spent several long moments running his hands lovingly over her hips and down her legs, before getting back up so she could unbutton his pants, too. Soon they only had their underwear left, and when he took hers off with gentle hands she suddenly felt very vulnerable, standing naked in the middle of the large, dark hangar. But then he wrapped his arms around her protectively, and the feeling faded in the delight of having his skin warm against hers as he kissed her. Still…</p>
<p>“Bed now?” she said, looking up at him hopefully as they broke apart, and he smiled and nodded.</p>
<p>They stepped over the glowing strings of lights and slipped naked between the sheets, smiling at each other and cuddling close. As she lay back in the pillows, Raquel looked up at the dark ceiling above them and sighed.</p>
<p>“It’s much warmer in here than outside, but it’s still not the most romantic setting, no matter how many lights you put around the bed.”</p>
<p>He looked around, considering the room. “Hmm. Very true.”</p>
<p>Then his face lit up. “Ah! I know how to solve this…”</p>
<p>He grabbed the sheet and pulled it over their heads. It was a thin white sheet, so the fairy lights shone through it, creating a warm cocoon suffused by a soft golden glow.</p>
<p>“There”, he murmured. “Forget about the heist. Forget about this stupid hangar. We could be anywhere right now: a beach in the Caribbean, or a five-star hotel on a mountain top somewhere. Where do you want to be?”</p>
<p>She didn’t have to think about it.</p>
<p>“Home”, she said. “Our house in Palawan, after all of this is over. Safe, with Paula in the next room, and the rest of our lives in front of us.”</p>
<p>He nodded earnestly. “Then that’s where we are.”</p>
<p>She looked at him, feeling the golden glow of the lights inside of her as well, filling her with warmth and happiness. She loved him so much. She loved him in every way, she loved every part of him, but this – this was how she loved him the most: unguarded, gentle, caring, and <em>with </em>her, really with her, in the moment. She reached out a hand and stroked his cheek, and he closed his eyes at her touch and shifted closer.</p>
<p>“I can’t wait to start my life with you”, he whispered. “It’s… it’s been so amazing already, these months with you, but really it was only just the prelude. Soon, it will really start, and we can be normal and do normal things.”</p>
<p>“Like what?” she smiled.</p>
<p>He gave her the brightest smile in return. “You know, I have no idea what normal couples do. But I can’t wait to find out with you. Tell me something you want to do once we have our home.”</p>
<p>“Watch a movie with you on the couch”, she said. “Sharing a blanket.”</p>
<p>“That sounds nice”, he said softly. “What else?”</p>
<p>“Cooking together.”</p>
<p>He laughed. “Last time we cooked together, you had to stitch my hand. Are you sure you want to risk it again?”</p>
<p>She grinned. “You’ll get better. I’ll teach you.”</p>
<p>He gave her a warm smile. “I’d like that.”</p>
<p>She stroked his beard. “Is there anything <em>you </em>want to do?”</p>
<p>He thought about it for a moment, then he said quietly: “Come home to you.”</p>
<p>“What do you mean?”</p>
<p>“Just… that I’d be out, for… for whatever reason, and when I get home… you’d be there.”</p>
<p>She smiled. “Of course I’d be there. It would be our house.”</p>
<p>He gave her a steady look. “Raquel… I’ve never come home to anyone before. I’ve never wanted to. But now… it seems like the most wonderful thing in the world.”</p>
<p>She suddenly understood, <em>really </em>understood, how completely he was prepared to change his life for her. It wasn’t just a question of moving in with someone new like it was for her, it would be a complete reversal of his entire way of life, and she hadn’t fully grasped that before now. They’d talked about Paula before and he seemed ready to take on that responsibility, but she knew from experience that the arrival of a child in your life wasn’t something you could ever be fully prepared for. It was a hard thing for anyone to adapt to, but for someone like him? He’d been alone all of his life, he’d always been able to have things exactly the way he liked them, quiet and neatly ordered. How would he react to the inevitable mess and noise of family life? She suddenly felt worried, and he noticed immediately.</p>
<p>“What’s wrong?”</p>
<p>“I just hope you’ll be able to get used to it.”</p>
<p>“To what?”</p>
<p>“Living with other people. I’m afraid you’ll miss your freedom, your independence.”</p>
<p>He smiled. “I will gladly let myself be caught if it’s you doing the catching.”</p>
<p>“I’m serious, Sergio. What if it’s too much for you?”</p>
<p>His expression turned serious too as he thought about it. Then he said:</p>
<p>“I have no experience with this, Raquel, so I can’t tell you anything with certainty. I can only tell you how I feel about things <em>now. </em>In the past months, no matter how much time we spent together, I’ve never been able to get enough of you. Not even close to enough. So the idea that you might be <em>too much</em>… well, it’s frankly absurd. I can’t picture it. I can’t <em>begin </em>to picture it. As long as you’re with me, I’ll be able to get used to anything.”</p>
<p>She knew he wasn’t the man for empty flattery or exaggeration, yet she still found it hard to believe him for a moment. What middle-aged man loved so intensely, so completely? Then she remembered: <em>you are my first love</em>, and suddenly it made sense. She found herself envying him, just a little – how marvelous, to be able to love without the memories of past pain weighing you down – heart unblemished and unbroken, eyes unclouded by tears – to be able to love freely, without reservations, using words like <em>forever </em>with impunity, because life hadn’t yet proven you wrong. And to experience that not, the way she’d experienced it, as a hormonal teenager falling for the wrong boy, but in the fullness of life, as a mature and fully-fledged individual certain of who you are, finding the love of your life.</p>
<p>She loved his love for her, built on the unshakeable certainty that nothing could tear them apart. She couldn’t quite bring herself to believe that – she’d had that certainty before, and she knew that life could lead you into uncharted territory where certainties meant nothing anymore – but she loved that he believed it. She cherished that fact, she treasured it. And she made a silent promise that – if she could help it at all – she would never prove him wrong. Whatever uncertainties she had, they were about changing and unforeseen circumstances, but not about <em>him</em> – never about him.</p>
<p>She’d come so far – he’d helped her come so far. Even though there were still some remains of insecurity and fear deep inside her, she was loving again, loving more fully than she had thought possible. Six months ago, she’d been so sure that she would never be able to open herself to another person again… and then there he was. Somehow, gradually, he had unfractured her, putting the shattered pieces of her heart back together with each small kindness, with each gentle word, each careful touch. In a world that had seemed infinitely hostile and cruel, he had made her feel safe again, he had sheltered her from the storm, until she’d gathered her newly-restored heart in her hands and given it to him freely, knowing he would treat it with nothing but care. It was all new to him – of course he made mistakes – but he never meant to hurt her, and that was all that mattered.</p>
<p>He pushed himself up on an elbow and looked down at her.</p>
<p>“What are you thinking about?”</p>
<p>She smiled up at him. “That I love you.”</p>
<p>His eyes were so warm and steady. “I love you too.”</p>
<p>He bent his head and kissed her cheek, softly, slowly. She closed her eyes and smiled as he covered her entire face in unhurried kisses, everywhere except her mouth. Then, he just brushed his lips against hers, barely touching her, there one moment and gone the next, making her wish for real contact. He did it again, and again, until she tilted her face up with a pure, insistent longing to feel his mouth on hers, and in response, he cupped her face in his hand and stroked her cheek with his thumb, before lowering his head and pressing his lips against hers in the softest kiss, so sweet, so tender that she felt something inside her melt as she gratefully gave herself over to the feeling of it. She opened her lips and he deepened the kiss, slow and sensual, and they sank into it, minute after soft, golden minute.</p>
<p><em>How she loved kissing him.</em> They’d been doing it for months now, and often she didn’t particularly think about it anymore, but when he kissed her like this, taking his time and giving her his full and undivided attention, it still felt new and exciting, and she still lost herself in the wonder of it. In the protective circle of his arms, she allowed herself to surrender completely to the happiness that filled her, all of her cares and worries erased by his kisses, the outside world falling away until it seemed nothing but a half-remembered dream. Here, in the warm glowing bubble created by the sheet over their heads, <em>he</em> was her entire world, a world that was gentler and kinder than anything she’d experienced before.</p>
<p><em>How he loved kissing her. </em>The first time she’d kissed him, she’d sparked something inside of him, something he’d never felt before, and now every time she kissed him again, it burned brighter. She made him feel so awake, so brilliantly and vibrantly alive – her fingers, so soft on his skin, making him feel at home in the world for the first time in his life. Over the past few days, the heist had demanded so much of his attention, but it seemed small and unimportant now as he lost and then found himself again in her embrace. For most of his life, he’d lived in the world of his plans, but not tonight – tonight <em>she</em> was his entire world, a world that was softer and warmer than he could ever have imagined.</p>
<p>Tonight, in the golden atmosphere they had created between the sheets, they both felt a fleeting touch of magic. Time stopped. Space contracted to the exact dimensions of their bed. And within those boundaries, their caresses wove a delicate enchantment, making them more significant, more deeply felt than usual. Lips pressed against skin lit glowing fires, tender hands awoke slumbering desires, while softly whispered words created an intimacy soft as down. With their limbs entwined, they realized that any sense of separation between them had been merely an illusion, because in the deepest, truest sense, they were one. As they slowly moved together, skin against skin, sensual pleasure merged seamlessly with emotional bliss to shape an experience that transcended the physical, pure and beautiful and true. At its zenith, it left them breathless and trembling, lifted out of themselves for one glorious, eternal moment, to come back down to a sweet awareness of profound and complete fulfillment.</p>
<p>Afterwards they were quiet for a while, lying close together side by side, their eyes closed, their foreheads touching. She slowly felt things shift into place again: time restarted, the world felt big again, and reality was once again a very real presence on the other side of that sheet. And yet… for moment after moment, she refused to acknowledge it as she basked for a little while longer in the lingering closeness between them, feeling warm and cherished and replete. Then they broke apart and looked at each other.</p>
<p><em>Did you feel that too? </em>his eyes asked her.</p>
<p><em>Yes, </em>she replied wordlessly. <em>I felt it too.</em></p>
<p>He smiled a warm, happy smile and shifted closer to her, and when she cuddled up against his chest, he wrapped his arms around her and held her close. Soon, he would get up, dress himself, then turn on the screens again and order Berlin to let the presses run at full force again. But not yet, not yet. For just a little longer, they would stay here and be everything to each other.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Damage</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello lovely people! First of all, I want to thank everyone who reached out to me with such kind words of encouragement and support, both here and on other platforms. It meant a lot to me, and it really helped ♥ I'm still having bad days, but I think it's slowly getting better overall :) </p>
<p>Secondly, I got several messages from people saying they'd like to comment but they don't know what to say, so let me give you some tips if you want them :) First of all, comments mean so much to authors! We spent a long time writing in solitude and now we get to share our work with you, and we would LOVE to hear your thoughts! Just a simple "I loved it!" (if you did indeed love it, of course :)) or even just an emoji is enough! If you want to go the extra mile (and earn my undying love), I love to read the following things:</p>
<p>- what was your favorite part of the chapter?<br/>- did any specific line(s) jump out to you? <br/>- did anything make you laugh/tear up/go awww?</p>
<p>One of my favorite kinds of comments is when readers copy/paste pieces of the text and give their reactions/thoughts on those. Another option: my lovely friend Flashingstar gives a list of the things she loved the most in each chapter. These are just suggestions, of course :) I'm grateful for any comment you want to leave! And if you don't have the time/energy/spoons to comment, then that's okay too, and thank you for reading!! I love you all :) ♥</p>
<p>As always, I need to thank my lovely friend and beta reader, thegirloverseas. She spent hours upon hours discussing this chapter with me, providing ideas and suggestions that really improved it. She is so generous with her time and ideas, and she's always there for me. I'm truly blessed to have her as a beta, and even more so to have her as a friend ♥</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Day 5</strong>
</p>
<p>Sergio woke her up with soft kisses. She smiled and, without opening her eyes, reached out a sleepy arm and pulled him down onto the mattress with her. He resisted for only a moment, then relented and allowed her to cuddle up to him, and she sighed happily as he wrapped his arms around her.</p>
<p>“Good morning”, he said softly.</p>
<p>“Mmm”, she said in return, burying her face against his chest and breathing in the comfortingly familiar smell of him. She loved to have him close when she woke up. And when she fell asleep. And every minute in between.</p>
<p>“How did you sleep?” he asked her.</p>
<p>“Wonderfully”, she said, then turned her face up to smile at him. “Last night was amazing.”</p>
<p>“Yes”, he smiled back. “It was.”</p>
<p>She sighed regretfully. “I suppose we have to go back to normal now.”</p>
<p>He nodded. “Unfortunately.”</p>
<p>She reached up to kiss his cheek. “It’s alright. We’re almost halfway now, we’ll be out of here soon.”</p>
<p>She got up and started dressing while he put on his pajamas.</p>
<p>“Everything is running smoothly in the Mint”, he said. “No issues at all. In a few hours, the truce with the police will be over and they’ll return to work. I expect no problems, but wake me if anything happens.”</p>
<p>“I will”, she nodded. “How are we going to keep Elena busy today? Do you think it’s time we let her discover the house in Toledo?”</p>
<p>He frowned. “I think we should do that tomorrow. At noon we’ll release the five hostages I promised her in return for the truce. That should be enough to keep her off our backs for today.”</p>
<p>She nodded and kissed him goodnight, then she went to sit in front of the screens. There was still a warm glow inside of her as she replayed the events of yesterday’s date in her mind, the sweet things he’d said to her echoing in her ear, the memory of his touch still on her skin. She was smiling to herself as she clicked through the different camera images rather absent-mindedly, but then something caught her attention and she was suddenly snapped back to reality to frown at the screen. In the breakroom, Berlin was sleeping on the couch, with his head in the lap of one of the hostages. The young woman was sitting upright, staring in front of her with an expression that Raquel didn’t like at all. As she was watching, Berlin woke up and started talking to the hostage in a way that seemed rather too intimate, and Raquel’s frown deepened. Berlin and the woman got up and left the room, and when Nairobi entered it a few minutes later, Raquel decided to call her.</p>
<p>“Hi Nairobi, how are things there?”</p>
<p>“Hello Lisbon. Everything’s fine, the presses are running at full capacity again.” Nairobi looked up at the camera and grinned. “I trust you had a good time last night?”</p>
<p>Raquel couldn’t help but grin too. “We did, yes, thank you.”</p>
<p>“You two really have it bad, huh? Paying millions of euros just to get laid. Was it worth it?”</p>
<p>Raquel smiled broadly. “It was, yes.”</p>
<p>Nairobi laughed. “Good for you. Meanwhile, the closest I’ve come to getting laid in <em>months </em>was Berlin staring at my ass.”</p>
<p>Raquel turned more serious. “Talking about Berlin… Nairobi, is there something going on between him and one of the female hostages?”</p>
<p>“You mean Ariadna. Yes, I’m pretty sure he’s fucking her.”</p>
<p>Raquel stared at the screen in horror. “He’s… he’s sleeping with one of the hostages?”</p>
<p>“So is Denver.”</p>
<p>“What?!”</p>
<p>“With that Monica girl.”</p>
<p>“The woman who was shot?”</p>
<p>“Yeah. He saved her life and apparently they bonded.”</p>
<p>“Nairobi, that… that’s concerning.”</p>
<p>“I know, but what can I do? They’re all adults.”</p>
<p>“But there’s a terrible imbalance of power! Are you sure those relationships are consensual?”</p>
<p>Nairobi frowned. “Berlin and Denver are a little rough around the edges, but I don’t think they’re rapists.”</p>
<p>“I’m not saying they are, but these women are scared for their lives. They may feel like they need to trade sexual favors in return for protection.”</p>
<p>“Yes”, Nairobi said. “I thought about that too, but I can’t be sure. What do you propose?”</p>
<p>“Will you please talk to them and make sure they don’t feel pressured into doing anything they don’t want to do?”</p>
<p>“You think they’ll just tell me they’re trading sex for protection? I’m one of the bad guys too, why would they trust me?”</p>
<p>“You’re right… they might not tell you outright.”</p>
<p>“Hmm”, Nairobi said. “Let me just try something, and I’ll get back to you.”</p>
<p>She hung up and left the room, and Raquel kept frowning at the screen. The thought that these women might feel pressured into having sex with their captors made her stomach turn, and she suddenly felt angry at herself for not realizing earlier that this might happen, for not making clear rules that nobody was to take advantage of the hostages. She’d thought that was a given: you don’t sleep with people who are in such a vulnerable position that you can’t be sure if their consent is freely given. But then she realized that men like Berlin and Denver had no experience with the desperation that comes from powerlessness, and that it probably hadn’t even occurred to them that what they were doing was questionable at best. If a pretty woman smiled at them, why would they question that? She knew both men were honorable in their own way, but a delicate ethical matter like this was beyond the grasp of either of them.</p>
<p>When Nairobi returned to the phone an hour later, Raquel got a sinking feeling in her stomach at the sight of her frown.</p>
<p>“Not good?” she asked her as she picked up.</p>
<p>“Not good”, Nairobi confirmed. “Monica seems alright, she got the silliest smile when I asked her about Denver, I think she really likes him. But when I asked Ariadna about Berlin… well. I felt a rather clear lack of enthusiasm there, so I asked her if she would leave if she could and… Lisbon, you should have seen her face. I think it’s pretty clear that she’s desperate to get away from Berlin.”</p>
<p>Raquel felt nauseous. That poor woman must have been terrified to be driven to such measures, and now she’d been violated. <em> I should have realized, I should have seen..</em>. She took a deep breath. It was too late to prevent any harm from coming to Ariadna, but she’d be <em>damned </em>if she let it continue.</p>
<p>“Nairobi, we have to get her away from him.”</p>
<p>“I agree. Should I go get him so you can talk to him?”</p>
<p>Raquel’s thoughts were racing, trying to gauge Berlin’s reaction if she told him Ariadna was only sleeping with him for protection.</p>
<p>“No”, she said finally. “I know men like Berlin. Either he won’t believe me and keep doing it anyway, or he’ll feel like she betrayed him and punish her for it.”</p>
<p>“Then what do we do?”</p>
<p>“We have to get her out of there, it’s the only way to make sure she’s safe.”</p>
<p>“How?”</p>
<p>“We’re releasing five hostages at noon in return for the truce. Make sure she’s one of them.”</p>
<p>Nairobi shook her head. “Berlin will never let her go.”</p>
<p>“Then we won’t tell him”, Raquel said firmly. “I’ll instruct Berlin to select five different hostages. Five minutes before they’re released, I’ll call him and keep him talking, while you switch out one of the hostages for Ariadna.”</p>
<p>Nairobi grimaced. “Holy fuck, Berlin won’t like that.”</p>
<p>“I’ll explain everything to him, and I’ll tell him you were acting on my orders.”</p>
<p>Nairobi squared her shoulders. “Oh, don’t worry, I can handle him. I’ll follow your instructions, Lisbon. No woman is getting abused here on my watch.”</p>
<p>“Thank you, Nairobi.”</p>
<p>…</p>
<p>She felt uneasy the entire rest of the morning, wishing she could get Ariadna away from Berlin immediately. Sergio got out of bed half an hour before noon, and she lost no time telling him what was going on. He gave her a pained look, and she reminded herself of the fact that Berlin was his brother.</p>
<p>“Are… are you <em>sure </em>she’s doing this against her will?”</p>
<p>“Yes”, Raquel said. “Nairobi said she’s desperate to leave.”</p>
<p>Sergio looked horrified. “Then you made the right call. She’ll have to leave.”</p>
<p>At ten minutes to twelve, they both put on their headsets, Raquel called the Mint and Nairobi went to get Berlin. He came in five minutes later and picked up the phone with a frown.</p>
<p>“Can this wait? We’re just about to release the hostages.”</p>
<p>“That’s what I want to talk to you about, Berlin”, Raquel said, keeping an eye on the camera in the entrance hall, where she could see Nairobi arrive with a confused-looking Ariadna.</p>
<p>“Alright, then talk”, Berlin said.</p>
<p>“Is it true that you’ve been sleeping with one of the hostages, Ariadna?”</p>
<p>Berlin’s frown deepened. “That’s none of your business.”</p>
<p>“It is, Berlin”, Sergio said. “Please answer the question.”</p>
<p>On the camera, meanwhile, Nairobi asked Ariadna a question, pointing at the doors, and an expression of infinite relief appeared on her face as she nodded fervently.  Nairobi pulled one of the five hostages out of line and put Ariadna in his place. When the woman realized she was really going to be released, she burst into tears.</p>
<p>“Yes”, Berlin said on the phone. “We’re in a relationship.”</p>
<p>Sergio was looking distinctly uncomfortable, so Raquel took over again.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry, Berlin”, she said, “but you’re not. You were taking advantage of her.”</p>
<p>Berlin drew himself up. “I most certainly did <em>not </em>take advantage of her. I would never force myself on a woman. <em>She </em>came to <em>me.”</em></p>
<p>“Yes”, Raquel said. “Because she was <em>scared</em>, Berlin. Because she thought it would keep her safe.”</p>
<p>He scoffed. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”</p>
<p>On the screens, the doors opened and the hostages walked out. Raquel breathed a sigh of relief, then steeled herself and said:</p>
<p>“We decided it would be better to send Ariadna out.”</p>
<p>Berlin froze. “Out?”</p>
<p>“Yes”, Raquel said. “She just left the Mint with four other hostages.”</p>
<p>Berlin was silent for a moment, then he said in a dangerously quiet voice: “Who sent her out?”</p>
<p>“It doesn’t matter”, Raquel said. “She was sent out on my orders.”</p>
<p>“Oh, are you the one calling the shots now?” Berlin asked. “What does my dear brother think about that?”</p>
<p>Raquel raised her eyebrows at Sergio, who looked like he’d rather be anywhere else, but then he pushed his glasses up his nose and said:</p>
<p>“This is an unfortunate business, Berlin, but Lisbon has my full support.”</p>
<p>“I had no choice but to send her out”, Raquel said.</p>
<p>On the screen, they saw Berlin take a breath, and when he spoke again, his voice was deadly calm.</p>
<p>“You interfered in a strictly personal matter.”</p>
<p>“I had to”, Raquel said firmly. “She had to be protected.”</p>
<p>“From what?”</p>
<p>“From you.”</p>
<p>“She’s in love with me.”</p>
<p>“No”, Raquel said quietly. “She wasn’t, Berlin, I’m sorry.”</p>
<p>There was a pause, then Berlin said:</p>
<p>“Alright. If she’s out, she’s out and there’s nothing I can do about that.”</p>
<p>Something in his voice made Raquel distinctly uneasy.</p>
<p>“Now don’t do anything stupid, Berlin.”</p>
<p>He looked straight into the camera as he said: “Like what?”</p>
<p>“Like… like trying to get back at me somehow.”</p>
<p>“How could I get back at you, Lisbon? You’re out there and I’m stuck in here. Following your orders, risking my life so you don’t have to make your hands dirty. Stopping the presses and guarding the hostages so the two of you can have a romantic evening together because, how did you put it, Sergio? “We really need it”? I’m not surprised. This heist is what brought you together – a common goal, and all feelings are heightened because of the high stakes. But how much of that will be left when this is all over?”</p>
<p>Raquel saw Sergio frown, but Berlin wasn’t done yet.</p>
<p>“You know, Raquel, at heart he’s a lone wolf. You have the heist tying you together now, but what will you talk about when it’s over? You’re very different people, and sooner or later, he <em>will </em>get bored of you.”</p>
<p>“Berlin”, Sergio said warningly.</p>
<p>“You may have captured his attention in the bedroom for now, but at some point that will fade, and then what? Do you <em>really </em>think you can keep him interested forever?”</p>
<p>“<em>Berlin</em>”, Sergio said, “that’s enough.”</p>
<p>Raquel agreed. “Personal attacks are beneath you, Berlin. I regret that this happened, but it’s done now. Go back to work.”</p>
<p>“Why should I follow your orders anymore?”</p>
<p>“Because if you don’t I’ll have you removed from command.”</p>
<p>“Ah, yes”, he said softly. “That old threat again. You’ll call Helsinki and Oslo and have me tied up and put in a locked room with Arturito.”</p>
<p>“Exactly”, Raquel said drily.</p>
<p>Next to her, Sergio did a bit of a double-take and looked at her with wide eyes, and she suddenly realized she hadn’t actually told him what she’d threatened to do to Berlin. Oh well.</p>
<p>“Hmm”, Berlin murmured, fingering the cord of the telephone. “And what would you do if I… disconnected the phone? No one would notice for quite some time.”</p>
<p>Sergio sat up in alarm and opened his mouth to speak, but Raquel held up a hand to stop him.</p>
<p>“You could do that”, she said calmly. “But then you <em>know </em>we’d have to retaliate.”</p>
<p>“How?”</p>
<p>“We could plant your DNA in the house in Toledo and make sure the police discover it. That would make your life very difficult when you come out.”</p>
<p>“But in the meantime”, Berlin said smoothly, “I could finally run things the way I wanted. There are many other pretty women in here… Let’s see if they would be open to a… transaction if I guaranteed their personal safety.”</p>
<p>Sergio stiffened indignantly and opened his mouth again, but Raquel firmly shook her head at him.</p>
<p>“You wouldn’t do that, Berlin”, she said softly. “You’re angry with me right now, and I understand that, but you’re not a rapist. You’re better than that.”</p>
<p>He stayed quiet, and she pressed her advantage:</p>
<p>“We asked Ariadna if she wanted to leave. She said yes. She cried. I know you wouldn’t want to keep a woman by your side who didn’t really want to be there.”</p>
<p>There was a pause, then Berlin said:</p>
<p>“She left voluntarily?”</p>
<p>“She did.”</p>
<p>“How do I know you’re telling the truth?”</p>
<p>“We can send you the footage of her leaving.”</p>
<p>“I would have given her a good life with me.”</p>
<p>“She didn’t want that, Berlin.”</p>
<p>“She said she did.”</p>
<p>“She lied.”</p>
<p>There was a long pause, and Raquel held her breath to see how he would react. After a while, he drew himself up. “She deceived me.”</p>
<p>“She was scared, Berlin. She lied to protect herself. You don’t want a woman under those circumstances.”</p>
<p>“No”, he said thoughtfully. “No, I don’t.”</p>
<p>Raquel felt a surge of satisfaction. That was step one.</p>
<p>“Good”, she said.</p>
<p>Berlin frowned. “You still interfered in a personal matter and undermined my authority with my crew.”</p>
<p>“I know”, Raquel said. “But you’re going to have to let this go.”</p>
<p>“Why would I?”</p>
<p>She thought about it for a moment. What did Berlin care about? He didn’t care about money, or the connections he had to other people. The only thing that mattered to him was power and honor.</p>
<p>“Because otherwise I’ll remove you from command.”</p>
<p>“You already said that, and I told you I could just disconnect the phone.”</p>
<p>“If you do that, we can’t communicate with you either, in case the police make a move.”</p>
<p>“What if I don’t care?”</p>
<p>“I think you do care. You want the operation to succeed as much as we do. And if you disconnect us,  consider this: in 24 hours, that tunnel will be open and I can come through to give orders in person.”</p>
<p>“I could do a lot of things in 24 hours.”</p>
<p>“Yes”, she said. “You could. But would it be worth it to spend the rest of the operation tied up and blindfolded in a locked room?”</p>
<p>“What about my authority?”</p>
<p>“You will only really lose that if you disobey orders now and we have to remove you. Right now, nothing is lost. Only Nairobi knows what happened. As far as the others know, it was your decision to send Ariadna out. You haven’t lost face.”</p>
<p>He considered this silently, and she continued softly:</p>
<p>“Let’s move on and focus on the plan, and you can keep your position. We’re <em>so </em>close to pulling this off – and I know you want the heist to succeed. You made a commitment to this operation and to your brother, Berlin, and you want to keep that commitment because you’re a man of honor. I <em>know </em>you are.”</p>
<p>He stayed quiet for another few seconds, then squared his shoulders. “I am.”</p>
<p>“Then we are in agreement”, Raquel said. “Let’s get back to work.”</p>
<p>“I won’t let anything like this pass again, Lisbon.”</p>
<p>“Then let’s hope we don’t encounter any more issues in the future.”</p>
<p>Berlin nodded and hung up the phone.</p>
<p>Raquel heaved a big sigh of relief, then turned to see Sergio look at her with admiration.</p>
<p>“You handled that really well.”</p>
<p>“I’m a negotiator”, she shrugged. “This kind of thing is my job. <em>Was </em>my job.”</p>
<p>“Do you think he’ll give us any more trouble?”</p>
<p>“No. The crucial thing was to show him he couldn’t win in the end. He’s vindictive, but he’s not stupid. And by appealing to his sense of honor, I gave him a way out without losing face.”</p>
<p>He gave her a look. “You do realize what he said before was nonsense, right? About… about me getting bored of you.”</p>
<p>She felt just the slightest twinge of unease, but it disappeared as she looked into his eyes.</p>
<p>“Yes”, she said. “Of course I know it was nonsense. He was just trying to get under my skin.”</p>
<p>At that moment, his phone pinged, and she watched his eyes light up as he read the message.</p>
<p>“Elena?” she asked carefully.</p>
<p>“Yes. We’re meeting for drinks tonight.” He looked up at her enthusiastically. “I hope I can get her to talk about the case, I need to know if she has any suspicions of how we’re going to escape. I’m sure she won’t just tell me… it will be interesting to try and get it out of her. I need to think about a strategy.”</p>
<p>As usual when he needed to think, he got up to use his punching bag, and as she watched him go, she felt the twinge of unease return. <em>Do you really think you can keep him interested forever?</em></p>
<p>…</p>
<p>Sergio stepped out of the hangar with a feeling of nervous excitement. He’d promised Raquel this would be the last time he’d seek out Elena, so this was his only shot at getting information out of her, and he needed it to go well. They’d agreed to meet directly at Hanoi this time. He got there ten minutes ahead of time, and sat down to wait for her. She arrived at exactly nine o’clock, looked around, and gave him her half-smile as she spotted him.</p>
<p>“Hello Salva”, she said as she sat down across from him.</p>
<p>“Hi Elena”, he smiled.</p>
<p>“I thought it would be safer to meet here, so you wouldn’t get picked up by the uniforms again.”</p>
<p>He grinned. “Well, that was an experience. Have you caught anyone yet?”</p>
<p>“No”, she said. “We know the leader of the operation is on the outside somewhere, and he probably isn’t very far, but if he’s smart, he won’t leave his hiding place. Still, my people are on the look-out. You never know – he might go out for food or coffee.”</p>
<p>Sergio nodded earnestly. “I hope you catch him.”</p>
<p>She sighed. “That would be great, because it’s starting to look like he has no intention of ending this soon.”</p>
<p>“Why don’t you just… I don’t know, bust in?”</p>
<p>“Because the hostages might get hurt in the process.”</p>
<p>“Are you under a lot of pressure from your superiors?”</p>
<p>She gave him a look of mild surprise. “Yes, actually. I’m trying to end this peacefully, but sometimes I feel like I’m the only one who really cares about nobody getting hurt.”</p>
<p>“That must be tough”, he said sympathetically. “It can’t be easy to be a woman in a man’s world like that.”</p>
<p>She looked even more surprised, but pleasantly so.</p>
<p>“No”, she agreed. “It isn’t easy.”</p>
<p>She considered him for a moment, then said: “But we don’t have to talk about my job. How is your cider coming along?”</p>
<p>“Oh, fine”, he said. “Believe me, I’d love to hear more about your job. It’s a lot more interesting than mine – my vats of cider don’t give me nearly as much trouble as those robbers are giving you.”</p>
<p>She hesitated. “Still, I really shouldn’t talk about an ongoing case.”</p>
<p>He gave her an embarrassed grin. “You know, I’m… I’m actually a big fan of detective novels. When I was a kid, I thought about joining the police like you.”</p>
<p>“Really?” she said, amused. “What made you change your mind?”</p>
<p>“I inherited my father’s business. It was important to me to honor his memory.”</p>
<p>She nodded. “I respect that.”</p>
<p>“But I never lost my fascination for your line of work, so…” He gave her an inviting smile. “If you’d like to discuss your work, I’d love to hear all about it.”</p>
<p>She hesitated, then said: “I can’t tell you anything classified, but alright. What do you want to know?”</p>
<p>He eagerly leaned in. “How many people are on your team?”</p>
<p>“About twenty, working in different shifts around the clock.”</p>
<p>“What kinds of things do they do?”</p>
<p>“Oh, there’s a lot of different jobs…”</p>
<p>She kept talking and he kept asking her innocent questions, feeling her increasingly let her guard down, until he got to what he really wanted to know.</p>
<p>“You know what I wonder?” he said carefully. “How do these robbers think they’re going to get out of there?”</p>
<p>“Well”, she said slowly, “they’re having their hostages dig a tunnel to the sewers. They want us to think they’re going to escape that way.”</p>
<p>“But you don’t think they will?”</p>
<p>“No. They’ve released hostages to us, who told us about the tunnel. The robbers <em>know </em>those hostages will have told us about the tunnel, so they won’t actually use it.”</p>
<p>“So how <em>will </em>they escape?”</p>
<p>He was satisfied to see a frustrated frown appear on her face.</p>
<p>“That’s what I can’t figure out. They asked for a truck and a boat, and I was sure that was just another distraction, but now I’m not sure. You see, the guy behind all of this is so goddamn clever, I wouldn’t put it past him to set up something to look like a distraction, only to use it after all.”</p>
<p>He had to try very hard not to grin broadly.</p>
<p>“So there’s one guy who’s the mastermind?”</p>
<p>“Yes. He calls himself ‘the Professor’.”</p>
<p>“And he’s very clever?”</p>
<p>“Sadly, yes. We negotiate on the phone, and I’ve never talked to anyone quite like him.”</p>
<p>“What’s he like?”</p>
<p>She rolled her eyes. “Unbearably smug, and constantly asking inappropriate questions.”</p>
<p>“Like what?”</p>
<p>“The first time we talked, he asked me what I was wearing.”</p>
<p>He raised his eyebrows. “Really? Why?”</p>
<p>“It’s just a strategy to unbalance me.”</p>
<p>“And <em>does </em>it unbalance you?”</p>
<p>“Please”, she snorted. “I’m a woman in the police force, if I let a little sexism faze me, I would have quit a long time ago.”</p>
<p>He suddenly felt a little bad for her. “I’m sorry you have to deal with this ‘Professor’ character.”</p>
<p>She shrugged. “Some random guy asking about my orgasms isn’t the worst thing that’s happened to me on the job.”</p>
<p>Now he felt even worse. Her phone pinged.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry Salva”, she said. “I have to read this in case it’s urgent.”</p>
<p>“Of course.”</p>
<p>He observed her silently as she read her message, and he suddenly realized that, in seeing her only as an opponent in this game they were playing, he’d lost sight of the fact that she was, in fact, a real person.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry”, he said, and he meant it.</p>
<p>She looked up. “What for?”</p>
<p>“The sexism you have to deal with.”</p>
<p>She put her phone away and gave him her half-smile. “It’s okay, it’s not your fault.”</p>
<p>He shifted a little guiltily. “Still.”</p>
<p>“I just hope this will all be over soon, my team is getting tired.”</p>
<p>“How much longer do you think they’ll stay in there?”</p>
<p>“I don’t know”, she admitted. “I thought this would only take a few days, but of course, the longer they stay in there, the more money they can print.”</p>
<p>“You must be getting frustrated.”</p>
<p>“I am”, she said. “Especially since they’re doing everything they can to make me lose time.”</p>
<p>He made a mental note of the fact that she’d figured that out. Finally he couldn’t reasonably ask her more questions about the heist, so he allowed her to steer the conversation to other matters. He hoped he could get a bit of an insight into her personal life, but to his considerable frustration, she seemed unwilling to talk about herself, instead sticking to topics like politics and literature. Yet, despite his frustration, he had to admit that he was enjoying himself – though she seemed to live mostly for her job, she was informed and well-read, and she was an engaging person to talk to. Still, after an hour or so, he just wanted to get back to Raquel, and she seemed ready to call it a night as well.</p>
<p>“So”, she said. “This was nice.”</p>
<p>“Yes”, he smiled. “It was.”</p>
<p>“It’s rare to find a man I can really talk to.”</p>
<p>“From what you’ve told me about your colleagues, I’m not surprised.”</p>
<p>“No”, she said thoughtfully. “I meant in general. You know, there are not a lot of people I connect with.”</p>
<p>“Yes”, he said. “I get that.”</p>
<p>She gave him a smile, the first full, genuine smile he’d seen on her face. It made her look much softer, and he was suddenly struck by the thought that maybe it hadn’t been such a good idea to get to know her after all.</p>
<p>She tilted her head. “So… do you want to get out of here?”</p>
<p>“Alright”, he said.</p>
<p>“Your place or mine?”</p>
<p>He blinked at her. “Sorry?”</p>
<p>“I think your place is closer, but we can go to mine if you prefer.”</p>
<p>His eyes went wide as comprehension dawned on him. “Oh!”</p>
<p>She suddenly looked embarrassed. “I’m sorry, that was probably too straightforward of me. I’m not very good at flirting, I like things to be clear.”</p>
<p>
  <em>Oh no. Oh no, no, no, no, no.</em>
</p>
<p>“You need to know that I’m <em>very </em>selective in the men I date, so when I find one I like, I don’t see much sense in being coy.”</p>
<p>He felt a horrible, squirming wave of embarrassment engulf him. What should he say – what <em>could </em>he say? Oh, this was bad, this was so bad. She was looking at him – he had to say <em>something</em>!</p>
<p>“Well… I… I…”, he floundered, and she laughed.</p>
<p>“You do look <em>very </em>surprised, Salva. I’m sorry if I didn’t make it clear before that I like you. Though me agreeing to go on a date with you was kind of a sign, don’t you think?”</p>
<p>He had never wanted out of a situation more desperately. He felt like his face was on fire.</p>
<p>“I mean… uhm…”</p>
<p>“We can go to your place if that would make you feel more comfortable. I don’t usually go home with men I barely know, but I think I can trust you.”</p>
<p>A twinge of guilt appeared to spice up his embarrassment – this was getting ridiculous – he had to get out of here somehow. He steeled himself, took a deep breath and blurted out:</p>
<p>“I’m sorry. I can’t.”</p>
<p>She frowned. “You can’t what?”</p>
<p>“Take you to… I mean… accept your… uh… I can’t.”</p>
<p>“Why not?”</p>
<p>He desperately cast around for an excuse. “I… I have to get up early tomorrow.”</p>
<p>She raised her eyebrows. “To brew cider?”</p>
<p>“I have… an appointment. At… at the dentist.”</p>
<p>There was confusion in every line of her face. He suddenly realized for the first time that she was quite attractive, and she probably never had a man turn down an offer to go home with her.</p>
<p>“At the dentist…”, she repeated slowly and with apparent disbelief.</p>
<p>He saw absolutely no way to get out of the situation gracefully, so he just put some money on the table and hastily got up.</p>
<p>“I have to go… I’m sorry… I… well… I have to go.”</p>
<p>He didn’t dare look at her again as he turned around and walked out of the café, cursing himself savagely for misjudging the situation so badly. He realized now that, just because <em>he </em>hadn’t seen this as a date, it didn’t mean that <em>she </em>saw it the same way, and he suddenly understood that Raquel had been right all along – <em>of course</em> she thought he’d asked her out, and that implied certain things... Still, her proposal had surprised him in more than one way – he’d been under the impression that women didn’t usually sleep with men on the first date… though, come to think of it, it made sense for Elena. She clearly didn’t like to waste time and she seemed like the kind of person to go after what she wanted. And apparently she’d wanted <em>him. </em>Oh god, what must she be thinking now? He couldn’t have handled the situation more poorly – she must be completely mystified as to what just happened. He could still feel his cheeks burning with embarrassment as he quickly walked along the street, and he resolved <em>not </em>to tell Raquel about this. He’d get the biggest ‘I told you so’ in history.</p>
<p>…</p>
<p>Raquel was fidgeting behind the screens, waiting for Sergio to come home. She wasn’t <em>really </em>worried this time, but it would still be a relief when he got back and this whole Elena business would be over and done with – it had caused more than enough friction between them. When he finally walked in, however, she immediately noticed that something was off.</p>
<p>“How was it?” she asked, noting how he avoided her eyes as he walked up to her.</p>
<p>“Uhm… fine”, he replied. “It was… a productive meeting.”</p>
<p>“Did you get any useful information out of her?”</p>
<p>“Uhm, yes, a few things.”</p>
<p>She frowned. “Sergio, what’s wrong?”</p>
<p>“Nothing”, he said, finally looking up at her and giving her an uncomfortable smile.</p>
<p>She narrowed her eyes at him. “What happened?”</p>
<p>“Nothing”, he repeated.</p>
<p>“Out with it.”</p>
<p>“There’s nothing to tell!”</p>
<p>“Oh please, your face couldn’t possibly get any redder. You look as though she tried to kiss you.” She gave him a closer look. “<em>Did </em>she try to kiss you?”</p>
<p>He squirmed uncomfortably. “Not… not exactly.”</p>
<p>“Then <em>what</em>, Sergio?”</p>
<p>He heaved a big sigh. “Well… she did seem to think it was a date.”</p>
<p>She nodded. “Of course. And?”</p>
<p>He looked at the ground, then mumbled: “She asked me if I wanted to go home with her.”</p>
<p>She gave him a dry look, then turned back to the screens.</p>
<p>“Uh-<em>huh</em>.”</p>
<p>He looked beyond embarrassed. “I know you told me so.”</p>
<p>“I did, yes.”</p>
<p>“You were right.”</p>
<p>“I sure was.”</p>
<p>He shook his head. “I shouldn’t have done this.”</p>
<p>“No”, she said succinctly. “You shouldn’t. How did you leave things?”</p>
<p>“I… I made an excuse and left.”</p>
<p>She frowned at him. “What kind of excuse?”</p>
<p>“I said I had to get up early.”</p>
<p>She rolled her eyes at him. “That’s a <em>terrible </em>excuse. How was the rest of the evening?”</p>
<p>“Fine.”</p>
<p>“Did she have a good time?”</p>
<p>“I think so.”</p>
<p>“Then she must be so confused right now. Has she texted you anything?”</p>
<p>He took out his wallet to get at his phone, then looked at it.</p>
<p>“No.”</p>
<p>“Well, I suppose that’s for the best.” She gave him a cool look. “I hope you’re properly ashamed of yourself.”</p>
<p>He grimaced. “Believe me, I am.”</p>
<p>“Good”, she nodded. “Then we won’t talk about it again.”</p>
<p>“Thank you”, he said, clearly relieved.</p>
<p>“I want to hear what she told you in a minute, but could you get me a coffee first? Decaf.”</p>
<p>“Of course”, he nodded, putting on his jacket again and walking to the door.</p>
<p>The moment the door closed behind him, she noticed that he’d left his wallet on the desk. She was about to hurry after him, but then movement on the screen caught her attention: Denver was walking into the breakroom with Monica, and she observed them closely to see if there were any signs that Monica was in the same situation as Ariadna had been. The couple was laughing, however, and Monica’s smile seemed genuine. Behind her, Raquel heard the door open again and turned to tell Sergio his wallet was on the desk – only it wasn’t Sergio coming through the door.</p>
<p>She recognized the face immediately, and instinctively reached for a gun she wasn’t wearing.</p>
<p>“Don’t even think about it”, said Inspector González, cocking her gun and pointing it straight at her chest.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Elena</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I want to thank everyone who's left kudos and comments so far! I feel so blessed, because I have - without a doubt - the loveliest readers in the world! :) Thank you all, I can't tell you how much your support and enthusiasm means to me ♥</p><p>Thegirloverseas has, once again, proven herself to be the most wonderful beta reader any writer could ask for. Thank you, my sweet friend, for all the time you spent on this chapter, for endlessly discussing it with me, for helping me find ways to make it better, and especially for encouraging me when I wanted to delete the entire thing and never write again :') You are truly amazing, and I feel so lucky that I can call you my friend. I can't imagine what I'd do without you ♥</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p> </p><p>“Don’t even think about it”, said Inspector González, cocking her gun and pointing it straight at Raquel’s chest.</p><p>Raquel froze, her hands raised, her breath held. Then Elena frowned as recognition dawned in her eyes, but she didn’t lower her gun.</p><p>“Raquel?” she said uncertainly. “Raquel Murillo? What the <em>fuck </em>are you doing here?”</p><p>Raquel’s thoughts were racing. <em>Time</em>, she thought. <em>She doesn’t know that Sergio forgot his wallet, I just need to buy time.</em></p><p>“Elena”, she said. “Let me explain…”</p><p>But Elena was taking in the screens, and Raquel saw her reach the inevitable conclusion.</p><p>“This… this is the center of operations… <em>his</em>… the Professor…” Her eyes snapped back to Raquel, then they flicked towards the door, where Sergio had left only a minute ago. “Wait… Salva… <em>he’s </em>the Professor?”</p><p><em>Time</em>. Sergio would be back any minute now, the only thing she had to do was keep Elena talking so she wouldn’t call for backup – because if she did, they were lost. What did Elena want, what would keep her distracted? Only one thing, Raquel realized. <em>Answers</em>.</p><p>“Yes”, Raquel said. “He’s the Professor.”</p><p>She could see Elena’s quick mind connect dot after dot, her frown deepening.</p><p>“But… he was right in front of me when the Professor called the tent and…” Suddenly her face opened up and she breathed a soft ‘oh!’. “That was you.”</p><p>There was no point in denying things to try and protect herself – if she refused to speak, the conversation would be over and Elena would call the tent.</p><p>“Yes”, Raquel admitted. “That was me.”</p><p>“Voice masking software?”</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>Elena shook her head in dismay. “Of course. I can’t <em>believe </em>I didn’t even think of the possibility that there might be two people behind this! But it doesn’t make sense! I <em>know </em>men like the Professor, they operate alone.”</p><p><em>Sergio</em>, Raquel thought desperately. <em>Where are you? </em></p><p>Elena narrowed her eyes at her. “So what are <em>you </em>doing here? Last I heard, you disappeared on your way to prison six months ago. I talked to one of the officers who was in that van with you and he said that a bunch of armed men took you and it looked like you didn’t want to go.” She frowned. “Are you here against your will?”</p><p>Raquel hesitated for just one moment, then decided that she couldn’t bring herself to betray Sergio like that. Elena didn’t give her a chance to speak, however, shaking her head and continuing:</p><p>“No, you’re not restrained and you’re alone. You’re here voluntarily.”</p><p>“Yes”, she nodded. “I am.”</p><p>“But <em>why</em>, Raquel? I know we never worked together directly, but I respected you. I wouldn’t have expected you to turn for money.”</p><p><em>Time</em>, Raquel thought again. <em>I need time, and she needs answers.</em></p><p>“It wasn’t for money.”</p><p>“Why, then?”</p><p>Raquel pretended to hesitate, drawing out the seconds, every muscle tense. “The Professor recruited me.”</p><p>“How?”</p><p>“He promised me something I wanted.”</p><p>“Which was…”</p><p>Raquel took a deep breath, pretending to struggle with the admission. “My daughter. I lost my daughter, Elena, and he promised me I could get her back.”</p><p>There was a flash of sympathy in Elena’s eyes. “You were desperate and he took advantage of that. A judge would understand that, Raquel. Surrender quietly now and cooperate with us, and maybe I can get you a light sentence.”</p><p>Raquel pretended to think about it, drawing out the silence for as long as she could. <em>Sergio, come on!</em></p><p>Finally Elena said: “Well?”</p><p>Raquel shook her head. “The judge will never go for it, I have a prior conviction for corruption. I got nine years for something I didn’t do, Elena. How many years will I get for something I <em>did </em>do?”</p><p>Elena hesitated for a moment, then said: “I could help you.”</p><p>Raquel frowned in surprise. “Why would you? We barely know each other.”</p><p>Elena took a breath and looked like she was about to say something, but then she glanced over her shoulder at the door and shook her head.</p><p>“Let’s talk about this at the station. Get up, let’s get out of here before he gets back and then I can call for backup to come and pick him up.”</p><p>Raquel’s heart was beating fast, but she didn’t move, and Elena frowned.</p><p>“Raquel”, she said. “Don’t be stupid. If you were pressured into cooperating with him, I can help you, but only if you come quietly.”</p><p>Raquel still didn’t move, and Elena made a sound of frustration.</p><p>“Fine! Then I’ll just call for backup now and they can take both of you in.”</p><p>To Raquel’s alarm, she reached towards her pocket for her phone. <em>I have to stop her!</em> She did the only thing she could think of, abruptly standing up out of her chair, making Elena grip her gun with both hands again.</p><p>“Are you coming with me?”</p><p>“No”, Raquel said.</p><p>“Then sit down.”</p><p>She took a step closer. “Elena…”</p><p>“Stay back.”</p><p>She raised her hands, but took another step forward, her heart beating painfully fast.</p><p>“Elena, listen to me…”</p><p>Elena took a step back, but her aim didn’t waver.</p><p>“I’ll listen to you when we get to the station.”</p><p>Another step. If she could get close enough, she could try disarming her… Elena wasn’t about to let that happen, however.</p><p>“Don’t be an idiot. If you get any closer, you <em>know</em> I’ll have to incapacitate you.”</p><p>Raquel stopped, hesitating. Elena shook her head.</p><p>“Don’t make me shoot you, Raquel. <em>Sit down.</em>”</p><p>Slowly, very slowly, she returned to her chair and sat down, desperately casting around for another way to distract Elena, but she knew she was out of options. Keeping her eyes and gun firmly on Raquel, Elena reached into her pocket and took out her phone. Then the door opened and Sergio walked in.</p><p>In a flash, Elena was behind Raquel’s chair and pressed her gun to her head as she faced Sergio.</p><p>“Don’t move!” she shouted, and he froze, his eyes wide as he took in the scene.</p><p>For a moment, he seemed paralyzed with shock, but then Raquel saw his thoughts begin to race as he slowly started to walk towards them. <em>Stay calm, Sergio, please don’t do anything stupid.</em></p><p>“Stay back”, Elena warned him, and he stopped and slowly raised his hands.  </p><p>“Elena”, he said quietly.</p><p>“That’s ‘Inspector González’ to you”, she snapped. “<em>Professor.”</em></p><p>He grimaced. “I know what you’re thinking, but hear me out… please.”</p><p>“Hands behind your head!”</p><p>“Let me explain to you why I’m doing this…”</p><p>“I’m not listening to a single word you have to say”, Elena said angrily. “You’re a pathological liar.”</p><p>“Elena”, he said, a little desperately. “We’re not the bad guys. If you just let me explain…”</p><p>“Save it”, she snapped. “You can explain yourself in front of a judge. I’m calling backup.”</p><p>Raquel saw a look of determination appear on his face as he straightened up.</p><p>“Then you leave me no choice.”</p><p>The next moment, he reached inside his jacket.</p><p>“Don’t!” both women yelled at the same time, and Elena instinctively lifted her gun.</p><p>The instant Raquel felt the barrel of the gun leave her head, she twisted around in her chair and slapped the gun out of Elena’s hand. It fell to the ground and they both dove to catch it, but Raquel was faster, snatching it up and turning around in one fluid movement to point it at Elena.</p><p>Elena froze. Raquel kept the gun pointed firmly at her chest, breathing hard, blood pounding in her ears.</p><p>“Sit down”, she said, nodding her head at the chair.</p><p>“Don’t do this, Raquel.”</p><p>“Elena”, Raquel said firmly. “Sit down.”</p><p>“You’re making things worse for yourself. You can still walk away from this.”</p><p>“No”, Raquel said. “I can’t.”</p><p>“Help me arrest him and I <em>know </em>I can get your sentence reduced.”</p><p>“I can’t arrest him”, Raquel said quietly.</p><p>Elena’s eyes flicked between her and Sergio, and suddenly comprehension dawned on her.</p><p>“Oh. I see.”</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>“You really <em>are </em>here voluntarily.”</p><p>“Yes, I am.”</p><p>Elena shot Sergio a look of disgust, then turned back to Raquel.</p><p>“I’m giving you one last chance to cooperate. Please think about it, Raquel. Are you really going to throw away your life for him?”</p><p>“I don’t think I have to”, Raquel said, then she took a deep breath and lifted her chin. “But I would.”</p><p>Elena shook her head. “You’re making a mistake.”</p><p>“Maybe, but I’m the one holding the gun here. I won’t ask you again, Elena. Sit down.”</p><p>Finally, slowly, Elena sat down in the chair, and Raquel glanced over her shoulder at Sergio, who seemed frozen in place.</p><p>“Don’t just stand there”, she snapped. “Tie her hands.”</p><p>He hastened to get some rope, then kneeled behind Elena’s chair to tie her wrists together and to the chair. The moment he got up again, Raquel turned to him in fury.</p><p>“Are you <em>mad, </em>Sergio?!” she yelled. “Reaching into your jacket like that, she could have <em>shot </em>you!”</p><p>“I had to do <em>something</em>!” he said defensively.</p><p>“And that was the best you could come up with?!”</p><p>“I had to give you a chance to disarm her. And besides…” he glanced at Elena, “I knew she wouldn’t shoot me.”</p><p>“Oh <em>fuck you</em>”, Elena snapped at him. “Give me back my gun and watch me.”</p><p>“How did you get here, Elena?” he asked.</p><p>She glared at him. “I followed you from Hanoi.”</p><p>Raquel felt a fierce mix of anger and vindication as she watched Sergio grimace and throw her a guilty look.</p><p>“What made you follow him?”</p><p>“He was behaving suspicious as hell”, Elena said, then turned towards Sergio. “You ask me out, then you <em>don’t </em>want to sleep with me? It just didn’t add up. Then I remembered you asking me all of those questions about the operation. I thought…” She stopped, shaking her head, then continued bitterly: “<em>God, </em>I was so stupid! I thought you were a journalist. I didn’t think… I never thought you were…” She looked around at the screens showing the inside of the Mint. “I never thought you were <em>this</em>!”</p><p>Raquel nodded. “That’s why you came without backup.”</p><p>“I just wanted to see where he was going, and then he walked into this shady place with a ‘for rent’ sign. I waited for a bit, wondering what I should do, and then he walked out again, so I decided to check things out.”</p><p>She turned back to Sergio, disbelief and frustration in every line of her face.</p><p>“<em>You came up to me</em>. That first day in Hanoi, you bumped into me on purpose and you <em>introduced </em>yourself. When you <em>knew </em>who I was. Why, <em>why </em>would you do that?! Are you some kind of psychopath?” She looked back at Raquel. “<em>Is </em>he a psychopath?”</p><p>“No”, Raquel said, throwing Sergio a dark look. “Just stupid.”</p><p>“You can say that again”, Elena said in disgust. “I can’t <em>believe</em> I thought you were clever.”</p><p>Sergio shifted uncomfortably, then looked at Raquel, barely suppressed panic behind his eyes.</p><p>“Raquel, what the hell do we do now?”</p><p>“You’re the mastermind”, Raquel snapped at him. “You tell me.”</p><p>God, she was mad at him – this was all his fault – she’d warned him, she’d warned him a <em>thousand </em>times. She watched impassively as he started pacing. He was great at planning things, but he was terrible at improvising, and even worse under pressure.</p><p>“God, what a mess”, he groaned, and she took pity on him.</p><p>“Well, we can’t let her go”, she said. “That’s out of the question. But if she doesn’t show up for work tomorrow, people will start looking for her.”</p><p>He nodded. “Can they trace her movements from the tent to Hanoi to here?”</p><p>“Yes”, she said. “It would take a while, but they could get the security camera footage from stores along the way.”</p><p>“Fuck”, he said softly. “So what do we do?”</p><p>“We make sure they don’t suspect something’s wrong.”</p><p>He considered this. “She could call in sick?”</p><p>Raquel shook her head. “It would be extremely suspicious if she called in sick now, in the middle of this huge investigation. Especially if she showed no symptoms before.”</p><p>“An accident, then?”</p><p>“Then people might want to visit her in the hospital, or at least call to check up on her. I know Angel would.”</p><p>He sighed. “Then what?”</p><p>Raquel thought about it, then said: “Compassionate leave.”</p><p>He frowned. “You mean the leave you get when a close family member dies?”</p><p>“Yes”, she said. “Nobody will expect her to show up at work under those circumstances, and they would leave her alone.”</p><p>She turned to Elena. “Are both your parents still alive?”</p><p>Elena said nothing, but Raquel shook her head.</p><p>“We can easily find that out, Elena, there’s no sense in not telling us.”</p><p>“Fine”, Elena said. “Yes, they are.”</p><p>“Good”, Raquel said. “Then you’re going to call Angel and tell him your father died. Very unexpectedly, a car accident. You’re leaving right now to be with your mother.”</p><p>Elena raised her chin and gave Raquel a disdainful look. “Seriously Raquel, why would I cooperate with you?”</p><p>Raquel held up the gun she was still holding, but Elena remained unimpressed.</p><p>“You wouldn’t shoot me. You’re not a murderer.”</p><p>Raquel nodded, trying to project a confidence she didn’t feel. “True. But I could easily shoot you in a non-vital body part.”</p><p>“By then I could already have alerted Angel by calling for help, and then, as you’ve already realized, he’ll be able to trace me here.”</p><p>“We have a backup location”, Raquel lied smoothly. “We can move our operation there without problems, and without leaving a trace.”</p><p>“The police would still know I was missing, and do everything they could to find me.”</p><p>Raquel nodded thoughtfully. “And maybe they’d find you… but only maybe. Think about it, Elena. Is that worth it to you to get a bullet in the leg? It will hurt like hell.”</p><p>Elena swallowed hard, and her eyes flicked from Raquel’s face to the gun, but she was stubborn. “It would be worth it if it meant they would find you.”</p><p>“But they probably won’t”, Raquel said softly. “Don’t do this to yourself for nothing. A shattered kneecap will take forever to heal. You might never fully recover.”</p><p>She saw Elena’s quick mind work through all the possible scenarios, weighing her chances. Then she pressed her lips together and, to Raquel’s immense relief, nodded reluctantly.</p><p>“You’ll talk to Angel?”</p><p>“Yes”, Elena said, and Raquel saw that it was costing her. “I will.”</p><p>“Good.”</p><p>She pulled Elena’s phone out of her pocket, but before she dialed, she pressed her gun against Elena’s knee and looked her straight in the eye. Her heart was beating like mad and she had to keep her hands from shaking, but she knew <em>everything </em>depended on how convincing she was right now. She took a deep, steadying breath, and said:</p><p>“Don’t try to be clever. No hesitations, no code words, nothing that might make him suspicious. Please. I don’t <em>want </em>to shoot you, Elena. In fact, I would hate it, but my entire life depends on this. So does my daughter’s. And that of the man I love. So please don’t make me do this, because…” her voice trembled just a bit, but she recovered herself, “because I won’t hesitate. Are we clear?”</p><p>Elena looked back at her steadily. “Perfectly.”</p><p>Beside her, Raquel saw Sergio shift uncomfortably, and she knew he probably found this whole business distasteful, but it had to be done, and <em>he </em>sure wasn’t going to do it. So she dialed Angel’s number and held the phone up to Elena’s ear, hoping, <em>praying </em>that she wouldn’t do anything stupid, because she realized fully well that she couldn’t really carry out her threat. She knew she’d be able to shoot Elena if it were a matter of life and death, but to pull a trigger on a woman who was tied up and helpless, just to punish her? She couldn’t bring herself to do that. She just hoped that she’d convinced Elena that she could.</p><p>She heard Angel pick up.</p><p>“Hello, Elena?”</p><p>Raquel held her breath as Elena looked into her eyes for a long moment. Then Elena said:</p><p>“Hi, Angel.”</p><p>“Is everything alright?”</p><p>“Not really. I… I just got a phone call from my mother. My… father’s been in an accident. He didn’t make it.”</p><p>There was a short pause, then Angel said: “I’m so sorry Elena.”</p><p>“I know this is a terrible time to leave you at work…”</p><p>“No”, Angel said quickly, as Raquel had known he would. “No, of course you can’t come into work now.”</p><p>“I just need to be there for my mother”, Elena said, sounding convincingly apologetic and upset at the same time.</p><p>“Of course, I understand. Don’t worry, we’ll take care of things here.”</p><p>“Thank you, Angel.”</p><p>“My condolences, Elena. Call me if you need anything.”</p><p>“I will.”</p><p>Raquel pulled back the phone and pressed the red button with a feeling of immense relief, and she saw the same feeling on Sergio’s face as they shared a look.</p><p>“Thank you, Elena”, Sergio said.</p><p>Elena said nothing.</p><p>“Now for the next step”, Raquel said. “We’ll be here for another six days, so…”</p><p>Elena looked up sharply in dismay. “<em>Six days</em>?”</p><p>“Yes”, Raquel said apologetically. “If everything goes well.”</p><p>“Holy <em>fuck</em>, how much money could you possibly need?”</p><p>“2.4 billion euros”, Sergio said, with just a hint of pride.</p><p>She stared at him. “<em>Why?”</em></p><p>He shrugged. “Because we can.”</p><p>Elena turned back to Raquel. “Are you <em>sure </em>he’s not a psychopath? There’s <em>something </em>wrong with him, right?”</p><p>Raquel shot him another dark look and muttered: “Oh, there’s plenty wrong with him.”</p><p>“Shall we get back to the matter at hand?” Sergio grimaced. “We can discuss my failings at length once we get this under control.”</p><p>“Fine”, Raquel said. “Let’s make sure nobody else notices she’s gone.”</p><p>“You live alone, right?” Sergio asked Elena.</p><p>She nodded.</p><p>“Is there someone you visit regularly? Grandparents, or a friend you have a weekly meeting with?”</p><p>“No.”</p><p>“Do your neighbors know you well?”</p><p>She snorted. “No.”</p><p>“Basically”, Sergio said, “is there anyone who would notice if you were gone for six days?”</p><p>There was a pause, then Elena said: “No.”</p><p>Raquel felt a sudden stab of pity, but Elena shot her a challenging look.</p><p>“Don’t you dare.”</p><p>“Dare what?”</p><p>“Feel sorry for me. I chose my life, this is how I like it. Not everybody wants to be encumbered by a lot of close personal relationships.”</p><p>Raquel raised her eyebrows at Sergio, who gave her a tentative smile. She suddenly felt her anger at him, not disappear exactly, but diminish considerably. At least they had each other.</p><p>Then she steeled herself and said: “Alright. Now we know we can keep her here, but what are we going to do with her?”</p><p>“What do you mean?” Sergio frowned.</p><p>“We can’t just let her see and overhear everything we do.” She felt a little sick at the thought, but she knew it was the smart thing to do. “I propose we blindfold her and get some earplugs.”</p><p>He gave her a shocked look. “Raquel, that’s torture.”</p><p>Elena nodded. “Sensory deprivation.” She hesitated. “I’m not going to beg, but please don’t do that to me.”</p><p>“I don’t <em>like </em>it!” Raquel said, frustrated. “But what if she manages to free herself, Sergio?”</p><p>“Then we’re screwed anyway, aren’t we? Whether she’s seen and heard us operate or not.”</p><p>Raquel hesitated, trying to think through the possible consequences. Maybe he was right, maybe it couldn’t get any worse anyway… Sergio put a hand on her arm and said softly:</p><p>“Raquel… If you did that to me, I’d go mad.”</p><p>“Yes”, Elena said dispassionately. “I’d honestly rather you shoot me in the leg.”</p><p>Raquel hesitated one more moment, then gave in, glad that she didn’t really have to do it.</p><p>“Fine. How will we sleep?”</p><p>“We’ll just take turns as usual and… well, tie her to the bed when it’s her turn to sleep.”</p><p>Elena lifted her eyebrows but said nothing.</p><p>“What about eating?” Raquel asked. “Do we untie her to eat?”</p><p>Elena gave her a look of dismay. “Please don’t feed me like a baby bird.”</p><p>“We can untie her to eat”, Sergio said reasonably. “I’ll sit next to her with a gun the entire time.”</p><p>“Good”, Raquel grumbled. “You got her here, you can babysit her.”</p><p>“I will”, he said guiltily. “I’ll take care of everything.”</p><p>She nodded, and he stepped closer to her.</p><p>“Can we talk? In private?”</p><p>“No”, she said, disgruntled. “We absolutely <em>can’t </em>talk in private anymore, Sergio. Not for the next six days.”</p><p>“I’m sorry I’m such an inconvenience”, Elena said drily. “Feel free to let me go and I’ll gladly give you some privacy.”</p><p>Raquel saw Sergio suppress a smile as he turned to Elena.</p><p>“That’s very considerate of you, Inspector.”</p><p>“I’m a considerate person, Professor. Unlike some people.”</p><p>“Still, I hope you won’t find our hospitality lacking over the next week or so.”</p><p>“Can I leave a negative review somewhere if I do? The Association for Criminal Accommodations?”</p><p>Sergio grinned, and Raquel rolled her eyes.</p><p>“Oh, you two, seriously.”</p><p>His expression immediately turned more sober again, and he put a hand on her arm and steered her to a corner of the hangar, as far away from Elena as they were going to get for the next few days.</p><p>“Alright, what do you want to talk about?” she said.</p><p>“I want to apologize.”</p><p>She crossed her arms and looked up at him. “I’m all ears.”</p><p>He suddenly looked uncomfortable and unsure of what to say. “Uhm… I’m sorry.”</p><p>“Try again.”</p><p>“I’m… really sorry?”</p><p>“Not buying it.”</p><p>“Raquel, I don’t know what to say.”</p><p>“I don’t know what to say either, Sergio. I’d tell you you’re sleeping on the couch tonight, except we don’t have one.”</p><p>“Look…”</p><p>“I’d tell you ‘no sex for a week’, except thanks to you that’s not an option anymore anyway.”</p><p>“Well…”</p><p>“I’d tell you you’d better buy me flowers to make up for this, except I don’t think there are enough flowers in the <em>world </em>to…”</p><p>“Alright!” he said, raising his hands. “Alright, point made. I screwed up. I screwed up really badly.”</p><p>“Yes”, she said drily. “You did.”</p><p>“I should have listened to you.”</p><p>“You should.”</p><p>“You told me this was a bad idea.”</p><p>“I did.”</p><p>He gave her a defeated look. “Do you… I don’t know, want to punch me or something?”</p><p>She considered this. “A little, yeah.”</p><p>He nodded and started to take off his glasses, but she quickly stopped his hand with a suppressed smile.</p><p>“Sergio, I’m not really going to punch you.”</p><p>“Are you sure? I deserve it.”</p><p>“Maybe you do, but violence doesn’t solve anything.”</p><p>“It might make you feel better.”</p><p>She looked at him. “Hurting you wouldn’t make me feel better.”</p><p>He gave her a soft look, then said quietly: “I’m sorry for not taking your advice seriously. I should have realized you were right. I know… I <em>know </em>you’re smarter than me in so many ways.”</p><p>That struck her unexpectedly deeply. She looked up at him. “Do you really think so?”</p><p>“Of course I do. There are so many things you’re better at than me. You can think under pressure, you have way better people skills and you have more common sense.” He gestured at Elena. “I mean, this is proof of all of that.”</p><p>She felt herself relent slightly. “Will you listen to me in the future?”</p><p>“I will”, he said earnestly. “I’ll never disregard your opinion again. We… we almost lost everything tonight because of me, because of… of my arrogance. I need you to keep me grounded. You balance me out. You make me a better man… if I let you.”</p><p>She considered him. “I know you’re smarter than other people, Sergio, but that doesn’t mean nothing can hurt you.”</p><p>“I know”, he said quietly. “I think I didn’t really believe that before, but I know it now.”</p><p>She sighed, the last of her anger at him fading away, to be replaced by a profound sense of tiredness as she glanced at Elena. “So how do we deal with this?”</p><p>He gazed at her steadily.</p><p>“The way we deal with everything”, he said. “Together.”</p><p>…</p><p>
  <strong>Day 6</strong>
</p><p>As he’d promised, Sergio took care of every practical concern that arose surrounding the captivity of Elena, keeping a gun on her when she was untied to go to the bathroom or to eat, tying her to the frame of the bed when it was time for her to sleep. Except for keeping her tied up, he insisted on treating her like a guest, making sure she was comfortable, offering her a sedative to help her sleep, and once she woke up again, making sure she wasn’t bored, leaving Raquel to listen in on how Angel was dealing with taking over Elena’s position. At first, Elena maintained a stubborn silence, refusing to engage with him, but after a while, she seemed to settle into a stoic acceptance of her situation, and when Sergio proposed a game of chess, she seemed unable to resist. Sergio moved her pieces at her direction, and gradually he got her to talk to him.</p><p>Raquel kept her eyes on the screens, but she listened to their conversation with increasing interest. Elena’s curiosity quickly overcame her resentment of Sergio, and once they started talking, she kept asking questions about the heist, seeming interested in every detail. Sergio was eager to explain everything to her, clearly trying his best to bring her over to his point of view – that they weren’t the bad guys, that they were defying the system, that they were liberators, Robin Hoods. To Raquel’s considerable amusement, however, Elena was having none of it.</p><p>“B1 to C3. Your argument is full of holes, Professor. Who are you fighting, exactly?”</p><p>“We stand against the oligarchy of the superrich.”</p><p>“Well then explain something to me: how does elevating yourself to <em>join</em> the ranks of the superrich overthrow the oligarchy? You think you’re some kind of Robin Hood, a hero, a great liberator, but who are you liberating, exactly? Nobody but yourself.”</p><p>Raquel raised her eyebrows. Point Elena. Sergio wasn’t so easily defeated, though.</p><p>“We are executing a very public defiance of an oppressive system. By doing so, we are an inspiration to millions of people across the globe. We provide hope.”</p><p>“Hope of <em>what </em>exactly?”</p><p>“Freedom, equality.”</p><p>“And brotherhood? You may want to update your slogan if you’re quoting the French Revolution. E3 to F4. This is the 21<sup>st</sup> century. Here in Spain, at least, people <em>are </em>free.”</p><p>“Free to work their entire lives for a pittance, you mean? People’s choices are incredibly limited. Under the capitalism of the patriarchy, we are all slaves to money.”</p><p>“Are you seriously lecturing <em>me </em>on the patriarchy?”</p><p>“Just because you’re a woman doesn’t mean that you’re not complicit in upholding an oppressive system.”</p><p>“And you’re proposing, what? Anarchy?”</p><p>Raquel turned around to watch them, fascinated. She felt like she was witnessing a tennis match between two equally skilled opponents, and she couldn’t imagine how they were talking and playing at the same time. Whenever she played chess, she needed time to think about her moves, but Sergio and Elena barely glanced at the board.</p><p>“I’m proposing a less paternalistic government, at least”, he said, moving his castle.</p><p>“A little paternalism, sadly, is needed in a government.”</p><p>“People are capable of making their own decisions.”</p><p>She snorted. “You haven’t spent much time around people, have you?”</p><p>“Enough to know that they deserve a better society.”</p><p>“Ah”, she said with a half-smile. “I see. You’re an idealist. A3 to C5.”</p><p>“Are you sure you want to do that?”</p><p>“Just shut up and move the piece, I know what I’m doing.”</p><p>“Fine, it’s your call. And there’s nothing wrong with idealism”, he said calmly.</p><p>“Except that it makes you strive for the unreachable.”</p><p>“We have to strive for the unreachable to see any improvement at all.”</p><p>“I don’t agree with that. As a society, we should set attainable goals and strive for those.”</p><p>“That’s such a pedestrian way of thinking. How can you achieve greatness if you don’t reach for the stars?”</p><p>She snorted. “People who always have their eyes on the stars aren’t concerned with the reality on the ground. C5 to A7, and now I have your bishop, thank you very much. I’d rather dream small and get somewhere, than to spend my life dedicated to pursuing a mirage.”</p><p>“Would you call this operation a mirage, then?” he said, taking his bishop off the board. “I couldn’t have dreamt bigger, and it looks to me like I’m very close to achieving that dream.”</p><p>“You’re not there yet, though”, she said drily. “Let’s see you get away first. But apart from that, I’m doing more to change the system than you ever will.”</p><p>He gave her an amused look. “By working for the government from nine to five? Changing the patriarchy into a matriarchy single-handedly, are we?”</p><p>“Fine”, she said. “Scoff all you want. But in a few years, I’ll be at the top of my field, and then I’ll be able to effect real changes.”</p><p>“You want to become Police Commissioner?” he asked, surprised.</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>“Why?”</p><p>“So I can use my power to do some good.”</p><p>He shook his head. “All power corrupts, Elena.”</p><p>“That’s cynicism, and I don’t agree with it at all. The problem is that incorruptible people rarely have what it takes to reach the top.”</p><p>“And you think you’re the exception to that?”</p><p>She raised her chin defiantly. “I do.”</p><p>He laughed. “And you’re calling <em>me </em>an idealist?”</p><p>“I’m talking about real, tangible changes here, not some vague, unformed ideals like you’re espousing. A7 back to C5. I intend to tackle corruption and police brutality, and I’ll finally be able to bring psychopaths like Alicia Sierra in line. What will <em>you</em> be doing? Hiding in some third world country, sleeping in a hammock and drinking out of coconuts.” She shot him a disdainful look. “But <em>viva la resistencia</em>, I guess.”</p><p>Raquel’s eyebrows shot up. <em>Ouch</em>. She turned back to the screens as the conversation went on and on, and where at first she’d enjoyed it, after a while it started to make her uncomfortable. They ranged further and further into a complicated discussion of ethics and political philosophy, discussing the relative merits of communist-adjacent socialism versus meritocratic libertarianism, all while continuing their game, and Raquel could see that Sergio was enjoying himself immensely. She realized with a rising sense of unease that she and Sergio had never had this kind of conversation. While she could follow everything they were saying, she was much more interested in practical matters than in abstract philosophical concepts, and she knew she’d never be able to argue against Sergio the way Elena was doing now – pushing him to defend himself, effortlessly poking holes in his arguments, challenging him at every turn – and he was so clearly loving it.</p><p>Suddenly, Berlin’s voice sounded in her ear. <em>You’re very different people. </em>She’d been aware of that before, but never more so than now, as she listened to him argue with Elena as if they shared the same brain, and she realized how incredibly similar they were. What if this was what Sergio really wanted? She heard Berlin again: <em>You have the heist tying you together now, but what will you talk about when it’s over? </em>She’d honestly been a little worried about that – so much of their relationship was built around this heist. She glanced over her shoulder to see Sergio lean forward in his chair as he listened attentively to something Elena was saying. Clearly, <em>they </em>would have no trouble finding anything to talk about. <em>Do you really think you can keep him interested forever? </em>She felt a sudden wave of uncertainty. <em>Could </em>she keep him interested in the way that he needed it? She knew, she <em>knew </em>he loved her, but only love wasn’t enough in the long term, especially for someone like Sergio. Would he get bored of her at some point? Would he, sooner or later, choose someone else over her? Someone like Elena? She felt a sudden urge to get up and drag Sergio away from her, but she firmly suppressed it and stayed seated.</p><p>Finally, the chess game reached a point where even Sergio and Elena needed to think about their moves, and Raquel turned to watch again. After a long pause, Sergio moved a piece and Elena sharply looked up at him.</p><p>“What are you doing?”</p><p>“You know what I’m doing.”</p><p>“If you put that piece there, you have no more legal moves.”</p><p>“Indeed.”</p><p>“You’re creating a stalemate?”</p><p>“I am.”</p><p>“You can’t do that! I was about to beat you in three moves!”</p><p>He grinned. “Exactly. Now it’s a draw.”</p><p>She gave him a look of highest indignation. “That’s <em>such </em>a dishonorable way to end the game!”</p><p>He gestured at their surroundings. “Really, Inspector, what about this entire situation makes you think I would care about that? I play to win – and if I can’t win, at least I won’t lose.”</p><p>“No honor amongst thieves, huh?”</p><p>“I’m not breaking any rules.”</p><p>“But you’re abusing the system.”</p><p>“I’m using the system in an unconventional way.”</p><p>“It feels like cheating.”</p><p>“Exploiting a loophole is not cheating, it’s merely clever.”</p><p>“I would never do that.”</p><p>He considered her. “No, you wouldn’t. I guess that’s the difference between you and me.”</p><p>She gave him a cold look. “I think it’s time you went to get us something to eat.”</p><p>“Are you hungry?”</p><p>“No, I just want a break from looking at your smug face.”</p><p>He laughed quietly and got up. “That’s reasonable. I’ll get us some food.”</p><p>He asked the women what they wanted, then walked towards the door. On an impulse, she hurried after him and caught him just before he opened it.</p><p>“What’s wrong?” he frowned.</p><p>She wasn’t sure. She just knew that she felt deeply uneasy.</p><p>“I don’t like this, Sergio.”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“This situation with Elena.”</p><p>“I know”, he said, “I don’t like it either, but what can we do?”</p><p>She silently looked up at him for a moment, then said quietly: “Are you sure you don’t?”</p><p>“That I don’t what?”</p><p>“Like it.”</p><p>His frown deepened. “Of course I don’t <em>like </em>it, Raquel, this is a huge deviation from the plan.”</p><p>Yes, she thought, that <em>would </em>be the thing that bothered him the most – the disruption of his plans.</p><p>“Just be careful”, she said softly.</p><p>“About what?”</p><p>“Her. She’s not… she’s not your <em>guest</em>, Sergio.”</p><p>“I know that”, he said seriously, “I do. I just think we can still treat her decently – after all, she didn’t ask for this either.” He gave her an attentive look. “But I won’t talk to her anymore if you don’t want me to.”</p><p>She suddenly felt ridiculous. “No… no, of course you can talk to her.”</p><p>“We’re keeping her tied at all times, we’ve tied up all loose ends… we’ve got the situation under control.”</p><p>“I suppose. Just… don’t trust her too much, Sergio. She’s dangerous.”</p><p>“Don’t worry”, he said soothingly. “I won’t underestimate her again.”</p><p>The knot in her stomach didn’t loosen as she looked up at him. Oh, what she wouldn’t give for all of this to be over – to leave this mess behind – to be safe with him. Elena discovering them last night had almost made them lose it all, and Raquel felt sick with worry. What else would go wrong? Would the next thing be even worse? Would the next thing tear them apart? She wanted to reach out to him, she wanted him to hold her and tell her that he loved her and that everything would be okay, but she couldn’t quite bring herself to touch him yet. She was no longer angry at him, but it was hard to completely forgive him. So she simply nodded and said:</p><p>“Alright, go.”</p><p>As he walked out the door, she turned around and looked at Elena, who was frowning down at the chess board. She was unarmed, she was tied up, and she seemed to have made peace with her situation. Why, then, Raquel wondered, did she feel like she was looking at a ticking time bomb?</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Reunite</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I just want to thank you all, so much, for your support and encouragement over the past few weeks, and especially your enthusiasm for this story! It really helps so much! Believe me, your words matter. Your kudos matter. Your hits matter. You're never 'just' a reader -- you matter, by being here so I can share my story with you. Thank you all ♥</p>
<p>As always, a big, big thank you to my amazing, wonderful, extraordinary beta reader, thegirloverseas!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
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<p>
  <strong>Day 6 </strong>
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<p>Throughout the day, Raquel kept listening attentively to the transmission from Angel’s bug to see if he seemed to have any suspicions about Elena’s disappearance, but she heard nothing unusual. Elena had been extremely surprised when Raquel first turned on the radio in the morning.</p>
<p>“Wait… is that <em>Angel</em>?”</p>
<p>“Yes”, Raquel said.</p>
<p>“<em>How</em>?”</p>
<p>“We put a bug on him when he entered the Mint with the medical team.”</p>
<p>“Where?”</p>
<p>“In his glasses.”</p>
<p>Elena pressed her lips together, then said reluctantly: “That’s clever. So… you’ve been listening in on us the entire time?”</p>
<p>“Yes, we have.”</p>
<p>She shook her head. “No wonder you were always a step ahead of me.”</p>
<p>They listened together to Angel explaining to his team that Elena had gone on compassionate leave and that he would be taking over the investigation.</p>
<p>“It doesn’t sound like he suspects anything’s wrong”, Elena said regretfully.</p>
<p>“It wouldn’t help you if he did”, Raquel said, a little apologetically.</p>
<p> “He could try to find me.”</p>
<p>“We destroyed your phone when you were sleeping, so he can’t track that. He could only find you through surveillance footage of the streets, and that would take a while. We’d hear it if he started investigating that and we’d have plenty of time to move our operation, including you.”</p>
<p>Elena sighed. “Guess I shouldn’t count on anyone to rescue me, then.”</p>
<p>“I’m afraid not.”</p>
<p>They were quiet for a while, listening to Angel talk to Colonel Prieto. Then Elena said:</p>
<p>“You know him better than me. Do you think he’ll do a good job?”</p>
<p>Raquel shrugged. “A decent job, probably.”</p>
<p>“I hope he can at least give you some trouble.”</p>
<p>Raquel considered her. “Not as much as you did.”</p>
<p>“I gave you trouble?”</p>
<p>“Quite a bit, yes. You were much cleverer than Sergio had anticipated and you threw him off several times.”</p>
<p>Elena smiled in satisfaction. “Good.”</p>
<p>In the early afternoon, Angel called the hangar. Raquel put a piece of tape over Elena’s mouth, just to be safe, and Sergio picked up.</p>
<p>“Hello Inspector.”</p>
<p>“This is Sub-inspector Rubio speaking”, Angel said. “I’m taking over the operation.”</p>
<p>Sergio pretended to be surprised. “Where’s Inspector González?”</p>
<p>“She took a leave of absence for personal reasons.”</p>
<p>“Oh”, Sergio said, looking over at Elena, who gave him a dirty look in return. “I do hope she’s okay.”</p>
<p>“She’s fine”, Angel said. “But from now on, you’ll be talking to me.”</p>
<p>“Can I trust you?”</p>
<p>There was a short pause, then Angel said: “You can trust me as much as I can trust you.”</p>
<p>“Sub-inspector Rubio”, Sergio said, leaning back in his chair, “I have a feeling that we will get along splendidly.”</p>
<p>…</p>
<p>In the early evening, Raquel was sitting in front of the screens while Sergio was tying Elena’s hands again after eating, when there was a sudden scraping sound from the entrance to the tunnel – and then a head popped up.</p>
<p>“Moscow!” Raquel exclaimed, running over to him as he climbed out of the hole with a big smile.</p>
<p>“Hello Lisbon”, he said, opening his arms, and she flew into them to embrace him.</p>
<p>“Oh, it’s so good to see you again!” she said, feeling like it had been months – <em>years – </em>since the beginning of the heist, rather than six days. “How are you?”</p>
<p>“I’m fine”, he said. “Just fine.”</p>
<p>Sergio came over to them, smiling, and while he greeted Moscow, a second person climbed up out of the tunnel. Raquel gave him a careful look.</p>
<p>“Hello Berlin.”</p>
<p>He nodded at her. “Lisbon.”</p>
<p>They looked at each other for a moment, then Berlin grinned at her and Raquel realized with a surge of relief that he harbored no hard feelings towards her. The next moment, Sergio rushed past her and hugged his brother tightly. Berlin laughed and patted his brother on the back.</p>
<p>“How are things over here, my dear Professor?”</p>
<p>“Well…” he said, glancing over at Elena, who was seated with her back towards them.</p>
<p>Berlin raised his eyebrows. “What’s this?”</p>
<p>“This is what your brother calls a ‘calculated risk’”, Raquel grumbled, and Sergio grimaced.</p>
<p>“How did she find you?” Berlin asked.</p>
<p>“I’ll explain that to you another time”, Sergio said hastily, then went off to talk to Moscow.</p>
<p>Berlin kept looking at Elena, and Raquel followed him as he walked over to her.</p>
<p>“Hello Inspector.”</p>
<p>Elena sharply turned her head. “Oh, you’ve <em>got </em>to be kidding me.”</p>
<p>Raquel reminded herself that the two had met when Elena had entered the Mint to see the hostages, and by the look on Elena’s face, she had <em>not </em>enjoyed that encounter. Berlin, on the other hand, was smiling broadly.</p>
<p>“What a pleasure to see you again.”</p>
<p>Elena looked daggers at him. “Can’t say the same. I was hoping the next time I saw you, I’d be putting you in handcuffs.”</p>
<p>He grinned. “We can still arrange that. I’m not opposed to a little bondage.”</p>
<p>She gave him a look of utter disdain. “No thank you. I’d only end up disappointed.”</p>
<p>“I can assure you that that’s not true.”</p>
<p>“Oh please”, she said. “With all that swagger of yours, you’ve got to be overcompensating for…” her eyes flicked downwards, “…<em>something</em>.”</p>
<p>Raquel suppressed a smile, but Berlin’s grin didn’t waver.</p>
<p>“Would you like to find out?”</p>
<p>She raised her chin. “Buddy, you couldn’t handle me.”</p>
<p>He laughed, delighted, then said: “I think you’d be surprised.”</p>
<p>Something about his tone was making Raquel deeply uncomfortable.</p>
<p>“Alright”, she said, “that’s enough, Berlin.”</p>
<p>“Ah”, Berlin said softly, not taking his eyes off Elena. “You know, Inspector, Lisbon here has been acting as my… moral compass over the past few days. Always making sure I stay honorable.”</p>
<p>“She has my condolences”, Elena said drily. “That sounds like an extremely shitty job.”</p>
<p>Berlin chuckled and turned around. Raquel and Elena shared a look of exasperation, then Raquel followed Berlin to join Sergio and Moscow.</p>
<p>“What a woman”, she heard Berlin say appreciatively. “Maybe I should come visit you more often.”</p>
<p>“Leave her alone, Berlin”, Raquel said firmly. “She’s already tied up here against her will, she doesn’t need you to harass her on top of that.”</p>
<p>“I think she likes me”, Berlin grinned.</p>
<p>Raquel snorted. “I <em>strongly </em>disagree.”</p>
<p>“Women often say one thing and mean another.”</p>
<p>Raquel bristled. “That’s just an excuse men use when we don’t say what you want to hear.”</p>
<p>“Anyway”, Berlin said, “would you two like to come into the Mint to see how things are going?”</p>
<p>“Yes!” Raquel and Sergio both said at the same time, then they grinned at each other.</p>
<p>They gave Moscow a gun and asked him to keep an eye on Elena in their absence, then they descended the ladder after Berlin. The tunnel was long and low, and Raquel’s back was aching by the time they got to the other side. She looked around eagerly at the big vault the tunnel ended in, and then Berlin led them through a number of hallways, showing them the places they had so far only seen through their cameras. Finally, they got to the hall with the presses, and Raquel looked on in awe as the sheets of money kept rolling past, until someone tapped her on the shoulder.</p>
<p>“Quite a sight, huh?”</p>
<p>She turned around. “Nairobi!”</p>
<p>The two women hugged each other, laughing, then Nairobi threw her arms around a startled Sergio, who carefully patted her on the back.</p>
<p>“It’s good to see you, Profe.”</p>
<p>“It’s nice to see you too, Nairobi.”</p>
<p>She released him. “Do you want to see it?”</p>
<p>“Yes”, they nodded eagerly, and she led the way to a particular office, then opened the door with a broad smile.</p>
<p>Raquel clapped a hand to her mouth at the sight of the rolls upon rolls of money that were stacked up to the ceiling. She’d known, rationally, that they had already printed over a billion euros, but to actually see it with her own eyes left her speechless. The next moment, Sergio took her hand in his and squeezed it tightly, and she squeezed back, their issues momentarily forgotten.</p>
<p>“This is it”, Sergio whispered, then turned shining eyes on her. “We did this, you and me.”</p>
<p>“Mostly you”, she said, but he shook his head.</p>
<p>“No, this would all have gone wrong by now if it hadn’t been for you”, he said. “We did this, together.”</p>
<p>He looked down at her with such a warm smile that she couldn’t help but smile back. It felt so nice to share this moment with him… maybe she could forgive him after all… She almost leaned in to kiss him, but then Berlin clapped a hand on his brother’s shoulder, and he let go of her hand.</p>
<p>“So, what do you think?”</p>
<p>“You did an excellent job, Berlin.”</p>
<p>They went down to the museum, where several of the others were guarding the hostages. There was laughter and hugs all around, and Raquel was surprised to realize that she was even happy to see Tokyo again. Then, a curly-haired figure emerged from behind Denver.</p>
<p>“Professor, Lisbon”, Denver said, putting his arm around the woman’s waist. “This is Monica.”</p>
<p>Sergio and Raquel glanced at each other, then Raquel held out her hand.</p>
<p>“Nice to meet you, Monica.”</p>
<p>Monica smiled at her, and Raquel felt instinctively that she was going to like this woman.</p>
<p>Sergio followed her example and shook her hand as well. “Ms. Gaztambide, I am the Professor.”</p>
<p>“I know”, Monica nodded. “I’ve heard all about you.”</p>
<p>“How is your gunshot wound?” Raquel asked.</p>
<p>“It’s healing”, she said, then smiled up at Denver. “Denver has been taking care of me.”</p>
<p>Raquel noticed the way they looked at each other and raised her eyebrows. This looked serious. And indeed, the next moment Denver turned to Sergio and said:</p>
<p>“Professor, I want Monica to join the gang.”</p>
<p>Sergio blinked in surprise. “Uhm… what?”</p>
<p>“Is this something you want, Monica?” Raquel asked.</p>
<p>Monica shifted closer to Denver. “Yes, I do.”</p>
<p>“She’s been helping us”, Denver explained. “She can’t go back out. I want her to come with us when we leave.”</p>
<p>“I… uhm… we’re not prepared for that”, Sergio protested weakly.</p>
<p>“We’ve already made her a passport”, Denver said. “And I’m sure there’s plenty of room on the boat…”</p>
<p>“<em>Denver</em>”, Sergio said sharply, glancing nervously at Monica. “Please don’t discuss our escape plans before we’ve decided if she can join us.”</p>
<p>“Well then, can she?”</p>
<p>“I…” Sergio said, throwing a look at Raquel. “Lisbon and I will consider it.”</p>
<p>Denver opened his mouth to protest, but Monica put a hand on his chest and said:</p>
<p>“Thank you, I appreciate it.”</p>
<p>As they returned to the hangar through the tunnel, Raquel felt giddy with joy. She’d been dealing with the stress of the heist, the fall-out, the strain it put on her relationship, without seeing any of the results of their troubles. Now she had the feeling like they were working for something real, something tangible – something that would allow her to start a new life after this was over, a better life than she’d been able to imagine six months ago. As they exited the tunnel back into the hangar, Raquel sharply shook herself. She’d been taking it for granted lately, this new life. She was still scared that something might go wrong of course, she thought, glancing at Elena, but apart from that she’d gotten used to the idea that she would have money, and freedom, and a family after this.</p>
<p>She reminded herself sternly that she almost hadn’t had a life at all anymore – that, if it hadn’t been for Sergio, she would have been in a prison cell right now. She looked over to where he was talking to Moscow, and she felt a sudden surge of gratitude and love. She owed him so much… she owed him everything. Now he’d made a mistake – granted, it was a stupid mistake – but couldn’t she forgive him? Moscow left, and she’d just decided to go over and hug him, when he turned around and went to talk to Elena, and she felt her heart sink. If he liked Elena’s company so much, what did that mean for the future she’d envisioned for herself? She wanted to spend the rest of her life with him, but… would she always have to worry that he’d leave her at some point? She took a deep breath and seated herself behind the desk to watch the screens, trying to shut out Berlin’s voice echoing in her ears again. She didn’t see Sergio look up at her with an expression of sadness and longing.</p>
<p>…</p>
<p>That evening, Raquel slept first. When Sergio woke her in the middle of the night, she still felt tired and groggy, and her head didn’t fully clear until Sergio had gotten into bed and she sat down behind the desk, ready for another six uneventful hours of staring at the screens. She glanced over towards Elena, who was looking up at the ceiling with an expression of immeasurable boredom, and she felt her natural empathy overcome her apprehensions surrounding the woman. Sergio was right – she hadn’t asked for this either – and Raquel resolved to make an effort to talk to her. Yesterday, Elena had refused to talk to either Raquel or Sergio throughout the night, but she’d opened up considerably during her chess game with Sergio, and Raquel felt like tonight she might be more forthcoming. She glanced over again and noticed that Elena was shifting against her ropes.</p>
<p>“Are you uncomfortable?”</p>
<p>Elena considered her for a long moment, then nodded. “Well… yes.”</p>
<p>“When did Sergio last let you move?”</p>
<p>She hesitated. “He didn’t.”</p>
<p>Raquel frowned. “You mean you haven’t moved since I went to bed?”</p>
<p>“No.”</p>
<p>“No wonder you’re uncomfortable! Why didn’t Sergio untie you at some point?”</p>
<p>“I don’t think it occurred to him.”</p>
<p>“Why didn’t you ask?”</p>
<p>Elena regarded her silently, and Raquel gave her an amused look.</p>
<p>“You didn’t want to show any weakness in front of him, did you?”</p>
<p>Elena kept looking at her steadily. “Would you?”</p>
<p>“No”, Raquel mused. “If I were in your situation, I might not either.”</p>
<p>She walked over to Elena and untied her from the chair, keeping her wrists tied together, then aimed her gun at her.</p>
<p>“Alright, you can walk around a bit, but don’t try anything.”</p>
<p>“With my hands tied behind my back?” Elena scoffed. “I’m touched by your belief in my superpowers.”</p>
<p>Nevertheless, Raquel kept her gun steady as Elena stretched herself, but when she saw her wince in pain, she suddenly felt rather bad.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry Sergio wasn’t more considerate.”</p>
<p>“He’s not generally a very considerate person, is he?”</p>
<p>Raquel hesitated. “He can be, but I understand why you would think so. You haven’t exactly seen his best side.”</p>
<p>“No”, Elena said drily. “I haven’t.”</p>
<p>Raquel felt a sudden stab of pity. “Elena, I’m sorry about the way he treated you.”</p>
<p>She frowned. “It’s not <em>that </em>big a deal, Raquel, he just left me sitting for six hours.”</p>
<p>“No”, Raquel said, “I meant… the way he treated you before.”</p>
<p>“Oh”, Elena said. “You mean when he was pretending to be Salva to get information out of me.”</p>
<p>“Yes. He… he made you think you were on a date and he shouldn’t have done that.”</p>
<p>Elena threw her an amused look. “It’s okay, Raquel, don’t worry about it.”</p>
<p>“It’s not okay, he led you on.”</p>
<p>Elena gave her a half-smile. “He didn’t break my heart, if that’s what you’re worried about.”</p>
<p>“I thought you liked him?”</p>
<p>“I did. I prefer to like the men I sleep with. But really that’s all I was interested in.”</p>
<p>“Oh”, Raquel said. “You weren’t…”</p>
<p>“Falling in love with him?” Elena said. “No. I don’t do relationships.”</p>
<p>“Ever?”</p>
<p>“Ever.”</p>
<p>“Why not?”</p>
<p>Elena shrugged. “Too much hassle.”</p>
<p>Raquel nodded. “That’s why you wanted to sleep with him on your first date.”</p>
<p>“He told you about that, huh?”</p>
<p>“Yes.”</p>
<p>Elena suddenly looked uncomfortable. “Look, Raquel, I never would have asked him that if I’d known he wasn’t single.”</p>
<p>Raquel frowned. “Well, how could you possibly have known that?”</p>
<p>“Still, I wanted to make that clear.”</p>
<p>Raquel’s frown deepened. “Elena, he was lying to you, you’re not at fault here.”</p>
<p>She sighed. “I suppose. Thanks.”</p>
<p>Raquel felt an unexpected wave of sympathy for her former colleague. She noticed her roll her shoulders, so she asked:</p>
<p>“How are your arms and hands feeling?”</p>
<p>“Numb”, Elena said succinctly. “I haven’t felt my fingers in hours.”</p>
<p>Raquel considered her, then said: “I’ll untie you for a bit.”</p>
<p>Elena looked up sharply, so she quickly added:</p>
<p>“Don’t get your hopes up! I’m going to tie your ankles first, like Sergio does when you’re eating.”</p>
<p>“That’s fine”, Elena said, and there was such a look of relief in her eyes when she sat down that Raquel realized she was in real pain. She quickly got some more rope and tied her ankles to the chair, then untied her wrists, and Elena inhaled sharply as she brought her arms around and the blood started flowing again.</p>
<p>“Does it hurt?” Raquel asked sympathetically.</p>
<p>“Yes”, Elena said breathlessly, carefully bending and unbending her fingers, swearing softly under her breath. After a while, Raquel saw her relax, and she looked up again, rubbing her wrists.</p>
<p>“You know, it can’t have been fun for you either.”</p>
<p>“What?” Raquel asked.</p>
<p>“Knowing that he was contacting me. You have a lot of common sense, I can’t imagine you agreed with what he was doing.”</p>
<p>“No”, Raquel said drily, “I didn’t.”</p>
<p>“I didn’t think so”, Elena said. “Well, at least you didn’t have to worry that he was actually interested in me.”</p>
<p>“Didn’t I?” Raquel asked without thinking, then immediately regretted saying it.</p>
<p>Elena looked surprised. “Of course not. He’s so obviously in love with you.”</p>
<p>Raquel hesitated, feeling all of her insecurities come to the surface again. Then she noticed that Elena was observing her attentively, and she had the uncomfortable feeling that she was looking right through her. Suddenly Elena said:</p>
<p>“You were still tired when you woke up, weren’t you?”</p>
<p>“Yes”, Raquel said, surprised. “How did you know that?”</p>
<p>“Because you were having nightmares.”</p>
<p>Raquel suddenly remembered – yes, it was true, she <em>did </em>have nightmares. But…</p>
<p>“How could you tell?”</p>
<p>“You were tossing and turning. Your blanket kept falling to the ground.”</p>
<p>Raquel frowned. “I was under the covers when I woke up though.”</p>
<p>“Yes”, Elena said, “because Sergio kept going over to pick it up and cover you again. Over and over and over.”</p>
<p>Raquel felt herself go red. “He did?”</p>
<p>“Yes”, Elena said. “He did.”</p>
<p>Raquel suddenly felt a rather warm glow spread through her chest at the thought of Sergio patiently making sure that she didn’t get cold.</p>
<p>Elena continued: “After about a dozen times, he sat down on the bed and started talking to you, very quietly, and that’s when you calmed down.” She paused. “He stayed with you for over half an hour to make sure you were sleeping soundly.”</p>
<p>Raquel didn’t know what to say. “Why are you telling me this?”</p>
<p>Elena looked away. “I know me being here is causing tension between you.”</p>
<p>Raquel frowned. “Why do you care? We’re keeping you prisoner. If we’re fighting, all the better for you.”</p>
<p>Elena said nothing, and Raquel continued:</p>
<p>“Come to think of it, you offered to help me yesterday too. Why?”</p>
<p>Elena glanced at her, and for a moment it looked like she was about to say something, but then she seemed to change her mind and said:</p>
<p>“You can tie my hands again if you need to get back to your screens.”</p>
<p>“Alright”, Raquel said slowly, looking at her closely, but she seemed unwilling to continue the conversation.</p>
<p>As Raquel kneeled down behind the chair and tied her wrists together again, she had the distinct feeling that there was something Elena wasn’t telling her… though she had no idea what it could be.</p>
<p>…</p>
<p>In the early morning, their phone suddenly started ringing, and Raquel could see on the screens that it was Nairobi.</p>
<p>“Can I come over to you for a bit, Lisbon? I have to get out of here or I’ll go mad.”</p>
<p>“Of course, Nairobi, the tunnel is open.”</p>
<p>“I’ll be right there.”</p>
<p>A few minutes later, Nairobi climbed up out of the hole and looked around.</p>
<p>“So this is where you’ve been spending your heist, huh? Not exactly the Hilton.”</p>
<p>“No”, Raquel said drily. “It’s not.”</p>
<p>“Where’s the Professor?”</p>
<p>“He’s sleeping, so keep your voice down.”</p>
<p>Nairobi suddenly spotted Elena and her eyebrows shot up.</p>
<p>“What’s going on here?”</p>
<p>Raquel sighed. “We have an unexpected guest.”</p>
<p>“Who is this?”</p>
<p>“Inspector González.”</p>
<p>Nairobi’s eyes went big. “Oh shit.”</p>
<p>“That’s accurate.”</p>
<p>“What… how?”</p>
<p>“That’s a long story, I’ll tell you some other time. Let me introduce you.”</p>
<p>They walked over to Elena, who looked at Nairobi with interest. Raquel introduced them, and the two women nodded at each other.</p>
<p>Then Raquel turned back to Nairobi. “So why did you have to get out of there?”</p>
<p>Nairobi rolled her eyes. “Berlin.”</p>
<p>“What’s he done this time? Do I have to come over and…”</p>
<p>“No, no”, Nairobi said. “He’s just being a total and utter asshole.”</p>
<p>“Isn’t that his entire personality?” Elena muttered.</p>
<p>Nairobi looked down at her. “You know Berlin?”</p>
<p>“I’ve had the misfortune of meeting him, yes. You’ve been working with him in there?”</p>
<p>“Yes.”</p>
<p>“Then you have my congratulations.”</p>
<p>“What for?”</p>
<p>“For not smothering him in his sleep.”</p>
<p>Nairobi looked surprised, then grinned at Raquel. “I like her.”</p>
<p>Raquel smiled, then they heard the alarm on Sergio’s phone go off. Five minutes later, Sergio joined them at the desk, where Raquel was showing Nairobi the screens.</p>
<p>“Good morning, Nairobi”, he said formally, then he turned to Raquel and repeated, in a much softer tone: “Good morning.”</p>
<p>She looked at him. “Good morning.”</p>
<p>There was still an awkward tension between them. Raquel remembered what Elena had told her about last night, and she suddenly wished she could just go to him and kiss him and make things alright again, but she didn’t know how. Nairobi was looking between the two of them and raised her eyebrows. Sergio glanced at Elena, then said quietly:</p>
<p>“We should talk about… the thing Denver asked us, but I think it would be better if Elena didn’t overhear.”</p>
<p>“I agree”, Raquel said. “We could wait until she’s asleep?”</p>
<p>Sergio hesitated. “I don’t know, we’d have to discuss adjusting our escape plans as well, and what if she’s only pretending to sleep and overhears us?”</p>
<p>Raquel felt pleased that he was being careful around Elena at last. “We could go into the Mint to talk. If Nairobi wouldn’t mind keeping an eye on the screens?”</p>
<p>Sergio cleared his throat. “Maybe we could go to the backup location?”</p>
<p>Raquel frowned. “That’s a risk for me, the streets are still crawling with cops.”</p>
<p>“We could take a taxi.”</p>
<p>“Wouldn’t it be easier to just go into the Mint?”</p>
<p>Nairobi suddenly intervened. “I think the Professor’s idea is pretty good. Get out of here for a bit, Lisbon, I’ll watch the screens, and the cop as well.”</p>
<p>“Alright”, Raquel said, noting the look of relief on Sergio’s face. “It’s her turn to sleep anyway.”</p>
<p>Raquel bound Elena securely to the bed while Sergio called a taxi, then Nairobi took Raquel aside and said:</p>
<p>“You don’t have to hurry back, you know.”</p>
<p>“Won’t they miss you in the Mint?”</p>
<p>“No, Mr. Torres can run things without me for a while.”</p>
<p>“Alright. Thanks.”</p>
<p>Nairobi frowned. “Are you two alright?”</p>
<p>Raquel hesitated. “More… more or less.”</p>
<p>“Well then, talk it out.” She grinned. “Or, you know, find another way to work things out.”</p>
<p>…</p>
<p>The moment they stepped into the backup location and Sergio turned on the lights, Raquel couldn’t help but smile at the many happy memories she had of this place. Their first time had been here, and they’d slept here after their first official date. She felt better just being here – this was their spot, just for the two of them.</p>
<p>He turned to her. “I feel like we should let Monica join us if she wants to.”</p>
<p>“I agree”, she said. “Is there room for her on the boat?”</p>
<p>“I assume she’ll share a cabin with Denver, so yes.”</p>
<p>“Will she get a share of the profits if she joins the gang?”</p>
<p>Sergio hesitated. “That’s tricky. She’s only joining us last minute, she didn’t put in the preparation the others did, and she’s not taking the same risk. What do you think?”</p>
<p>“I feel like Denver should just share with her.”</p>
<p>“Yes, I agree. His share is plenty for two people.”</p>
<p>“Alright, then… it’s settled?”</p>
<p>“I think so.”</p>
<p>She frowned. “Did we have to come all this way just for <em>that</em>?”</p>
<p>“No”, he said, his voice softening. “I wanted to talk to you. I know you’re still angry at me and you have every right to be, of course. I’ve tried to give you some space but I… I miss you, Raquel.”</p>
<p>She looked up at him, teetering on the edge of forgiving him completely. She just wanted to be close to him again. He reached out to take her hand and gently pulled her closer, gazing down at her with a wistful look in his eyes.</p>
<p>“I think this is the longest I’ve ever gone without kissing you.”</p>
<p>“I wasn’t in the mood to kiss you.”</p>
<p>“I know”, he said. “I don’t deserve your kisses. But I do miss them.”</p>
<p>The way he was looking at her – the way he was standing so close to her – the way he smelled – she felt herself lean into him instinctively. She’d missed his kisses too, she’d missed them so much.</p>
<p>He felt her soften and bent his head to murmur:</p>
<p>“I’ve made mistakes, Raquel. I thought I was clever but there’s so much I don’t know. I know I love you, though. I do know that.”</p>
<p>He bent his head lower, hesitating, seeing if she would pull away. When she didn’t, he carefully, softly pressed his lips against hers, just for a moment, and she felt her resistance to him dissolve into nothingness. She wrapped her arms around him and buried her face against his chest, and he hugged her close in return and leaned his cheek against the top of her head.</p>
<p>“Can you forgive me?”</p>
<p>She just nodded silently, breathing him in. <em>Oh. </em>This was how they were supposed to be, him and her, this was how the world felt right. In his arms, all of her worries melted away.</p>
<p>“Thank you”, he murmured against her hair, tightening his arms around her. “Thank you for forgiving me, I know I don’t deserve it. You’re such a wonderful person, Raquel. You… you’re the best person I know.”</p>
<p>She looked up at him. “Do you mean that?”</p>
<p>“Of course”, he whispered. “You just <em>are</em>, and I… I can’t believe my luck that I found you and that I get to spend the rest of my life with you.”</p>
<p>She suddenly felt so foolish. Why had she been so insecure? It was true that he seemed to enjoy Elena’s company, but he clearly loved <em>her</em>. Of course she couldn’t be sure that he’d never get bored of her in the future, but right now he clearly believed they would spend their lives together, and that was all she could ask for, so she leaned her head against his chest and just enjoyed the feeling of his arms around her.</p>
<p>They stood together for a long time, then he released her and stepped back, sighing regretfully.</p>
<p>“I suppose we should get back.”</p>
<p>“Actually”, she smiled, “Nairobi said she didn’t mind watching the screens for a while… she said we didn’t have to hurry back.”</p>
<p>A slow smile appeared on his face. “Really?”</p>
<p>“Really”, she said, stepping closer to him again. “And unlike the bed back there, the bed here has enough room for the two of us.”</p>
<p>“Ah”, he said, nodding, as she wrapped her arms around his neck. “I see. You want to take a nap.”</p>
<p>She laughed. “Guess again.”</p>
<p>“You want to… build a pillow fort?”</p>
<p>She grinned. “Actually, that sounds amazing, but I don’t think we have <em>that </em>much time and I’d rather spend it on… other things.”</p>
<p>“Hmm”, he said, bending his head. “Things like… this?”</p>
<p>He bent his head even lower and brushed his lips against the sensitive skin of her neck, and she sighed and tilted her head. Yes, <em>yes</em>, this was what she needed right now: his arms around her, his skin against hers, their bodies entwining, that unique connection they had that she’d never felt with anyone else and she knew he hadn’t either. She caught his face between her hands and made him look up so she could press her lips against his, and he lifted her off the ground as she kissed him, so hungry for him. <em>God bless Nairobi</em>, she thought as he carried her over to the bed.</p>
<p>They couldn’t stop kissing – they hadn’t kissed in almost two days and now it seemed impossible to stop, unwilling as they both were to waste a single, precious second of this stolen time. Undressing under those circumstances required some creativity, but fortunately they were very motivated, so it wasn’t long before she was lying on top of him, skin to skin, kissing him deeply as his hands moved down her bare back. In his arms, she felt better than she had in days – he kissed her so eagerly that her insecurities faded, touched her so tenderly that she simply couldn’t doubt how he felt about her. His body and his closeness reassured her more deeply than his words could, as she felt in everything the reaffirmation of the bond they shared. Life might push them apart in many different ways, but sooner or later, they always found their way back to each other.</p>
<p>His hands were caressing her buttocks and the backs of her thighs, lighting a fire inside of her that took her breath away with its sudden intensity. It still surprised her, the way he affected her body so deeply, the way it responded to him with such enthusiasm, his slightest touch making her shiver, his kisses and caresses invariably producing a deep, aching longing for him that she was powerless to resist. She wanted to hold him, feeling an overwhelming desire to be as close to him as possible, so he sat on the edge of the bed and they wrapped their arms around each other and kept kissing as she straddled him on her knees. She lifted her hips and moaned softly against his lips as she sank down on him, the pleasure of taking him inside her always new, always fresh. She moaned again as she started moving, shivers of delight running down her spine as he started kissing her neck.</p>
<p>He held her close as they rocked together, but after a while he leaned back so he could move a hand between them. She gasped as his fingers found the right spot, eliciting an immediate surge of pleasure that had her breathing fast as they increased the pace of their movements. Soon, she felt the tension inside her build and build until she was moaning every time she sank down on him, then she buried her face against his shoulder and held on tight to him as the feeling swept through her, strong and bright and amazing, making her gasp for breath against his skin. When it faded again, he pulled back his hand and held her, stroking her hair as she leaned against him and caught her breath. Before she’d fully recovered, he let them fall back onto the mattress and rolled her, unresisting, onto her side. She smiled in utter contentment as he came to lie close behind her, putting an arm underneath her head and fitting his body to hers so they were connected full-length.</p>
<p>“Ready to go again?” he murmured in her ear.</p>
<p>“Yes”, she whispered back. “Oh, yes.”</p>
<p>When he slowly entered her again, the pleasure of it was undiminished, making her sigh and press herself even closer to him as he wrapped an arm around her waist and started taking her with slow, unhurried strokes. They sank into it, and she got lost in the feeling, her eyes closed, savoring the feeling of his warm skin against hers and the way he moved to fill her over and over again. When he started covering her neck and shoulder with kisses, the bliss of it was overwhelming, and she wished with all her might that this would never end. After a while, he moved his hand between her legs and started stroking her with light fingers, careful because she was already sensitive. The combined sensations made her moan, and he kept it up until her entire body was thrumming with unreleased tension, his touch so delicate that it kept her teetering on the edge for several breathless moments, but then his other hand cupped a breast and when he pinched her nipple, that sent her straight over the edge with a gasp. For the second time, she trembled in his arms and he kept taking her deeply as the feeling shook her, gloriously, making her moan and moan with the absolute pleasure of it. When it finally faded, it left her soft and warm and happy, and she took his arm and tucked it snugly around her waist so he could hug her close. He pushed himself deep inside her, then he lay still as she recovered, softly stroking her hip and stomach. When her mind cleared, she realized something.</p>
<p>“Sergio”, she said, “you still haven’t…”</p>
<p>“No”, he said.</p>
<p>“Why not?”</p>
<p>“I don’t want it to be over yet”, he murmured, and she smiled. God, she loved his stamina.</p>
<p>She hummed her contentment as she pressed herself backwards against him and started moving her hips again.</p>
<p>“Well, now it’s your turn.”</p>
<p>“Mmm”, he murmured, but his hand was already dipping back between her legs.</p>
<p>She gasped and pushed it away. “No darling, it’s too sensitive now.”</p>
<p>He nodded and, to her surprise, he pulled back and rolled her onto her back.</p>
<p>“What are you doing?” she laughed as he moved down to lie between her legs.</p>
<p>“If you’re too sensitive, let’s try it this way.”</p>
<p>She pushed herself up on her elbows. “Sergio, I’ve already come twice, really, it’s enough.”</p>
<p>“One more time”, he murmured, kissing the inside of her thighs.</p>
<p>“Sergio…”</p>
<p>“Of course”, he said, “if you don’t want to…”</p>
<p>He gave her a soft lick and she shivered. “… we don’t have to…”</p>
<p>Another lick and an involuntary moan escaped her lips. “… but I have a feeling that you might prove to be…”</p>
<p>At the third stroke of his tongue, she threw back her head and closed her eyes. “… persuadable.”</p>
<p>He pressed his warm mouth to her and she fell back into the pillows, past resisting. He looked up with a smile.</p>
<p>“Is that a yes?”</p>
<p>“Yes”, she whispered, “yes, don’t stop.”</p>
<p>“Good”, he said with satisfaction, then bent back down and set to work in earnest.</p>
<p>The feeling of it was exquisite, his tongue wonderfully soft against her sensitive parts. He gave her plenty of time to get there again, exploring her thoroughly, then he entered her with two fingers and pushed upwards, and she gasped and arched her back.</p>
<p>“Oh! Oh, yes!”</p>
<p>He pressed his mouth to her again, focusing entirely on the one spot now, and soon she was breathing hard again as she felt another orgasm build, faster than she’d thought possible, but what he was doing felt <em>so good</em>, every touch amplified by her sensitivity. A hot, delicious tingling was starting up in her core, so intense it took her breath away, and then he picked up the pace and she was lost. She rose up out of the pillows with a cry as wave after wave of pleasure crashed through her, making her shake and clutch desperately at the sheets as he just kept her going and going, until her breath came in sobs and she pushed his head away. She fell back down, shivering, moaning softly, and pressed her hands to her face.</p>
<p>“Oh my god.”</p>
<p>“Good?”</p>
<p>“That’s… quite the understatement”, she panted.</p>
<p>She heard him rumble in satisfaction, then he returned to kissing her thighs. She reached out a hand and gently tugged at his hair.</p>
<p>“Come on up, now it really is your turn.”</p>
<p>He didn’t move.</p>
<p>“Sergio?”</p>
<p>“Just one more time”, he murmured.</p>
<p>She laughed. “Are you mad? I’m <em>exhausted, </em>I can’t go again.”</p>
<p>“I think you can”, he said. “In a little while…”</p>
<p>“But what about you?”</p>
<p>He shook his head. “Let’s focus on you.”</p>
<p>She pushed herself up on her elbows and narrowed her eyes at him.</p>
<p>“What’s going on?”</p>
<p>“Nothing”, he said quickly, but his expression said something else.</p>
<p>“Yes there is.”</p>
<p>“No, really…”</p>
<p>She gave him a stern look. “Talk.”</p>
<p>He sighed. “It’s just… I feel like I have a lot to make up for.”</p>
<p>“Make up for?”</p>
<p>“I want to make it up to you… the mistakes I made, not listening to you… all of that.”</p>
<p>“Excuse me?” she said indignantly. “You’ve been doing this out of <em>guilt</em>? Those were guilt orgasms?”</p>
<p>He gave her a tentative smile. “More of a… peace offering?”</p>
<p>“Were you even planning to come yourself?”</p>
<p>He colored slightly and mumbled: “I feel like I don’t deserve it.”</p>
<p>“Oh no”, she said, frowning. “No, no, no.”</p>
<p>She sat up and pulled away from him, crossing her legs to give him an earnest look as he sat up too.</p>
<p>“Sergio, I forgave you, I don’t want you to feel like you have to do some kind of… penance.”</p>
<p>He grinned. “Well, it’s not like I didn’t <em>want </em>to do it.” He gave her a warm look. “You know you’re very sexy when you…”</p>
<p>She held up a hand. “That doesn’t matter. I don’t want you to do that sort of thing because you feel <em>obligated</em>.”</p>
<p>“I don’t”, he said seriously. “Really, Raquel, you know how much I love making love to you, I enjoyed every second of it, I swear.”</p>
<p>She smiled. “Okay, maybe I didn’t mind <em>that </em>part. But you shouldn’t feel like you can’t allow yourself any pleasure.”</p>
<p>“Giving you pleasure gives me pleasure too”, he said.</p>
<p>“You know what I mean”, she said gently. “I don’t want you to feel like you have to punish yourself if you made a mistake. I don’t want that kind of dynamic in my relationship.”</p>
<p>She shifted closer to him and stroked his cheek. “Making love should be something joyful. It should be about connecting and enjoying each other and <em>mutual </em>pleasure.”</p>
<p>“But what if I’ve really done something wrong?”</p>
<p>“Then you change your behavior in the future”, she said drily. “<em>That’s </em>how you make things up to me. If I agree to sleep with you, I will always want it to be good for the both of us. <em>Always.</em> We solve our issues outside of the bedroom. By talking. Agreed?”</p>
<p>He nodded, and she leaned in to kiss him, then pulled back with a smile.</p>
<p>“So… let’s take care of you now.”</p>
<p>Before he could say anything else, she pushed him onto his back and came to sit on top of him.</p>
<p>“You don’t have to…” he protested weakly, but then she sank down on him and he shuddered.</p>
<p>“Were you saying something?” she said sweetly, shifting her hips in a way that made him groan.</p>
<p>“No”, he breathed. “No, not at all.”</p>
<p>“Good”, she smiled, as she slowly started moving. “Because you’re in for a bit of a ride. Are you ready?”</p>
<p>His eyes were shining. “Yes.”</p>
<p>“Oh”, she teased him, moving up and down his length, “I don’t think you are. I give you two minutes.”</p>
<p>“Really?” he said, amused. “Try me.”</p>
<p>They grinned at each other – challenge accepted. Then she tilted her hips and he gasped as she was suddenly so tight around him.</p>
<p>“Oh!”</p>
<p>She started riding him, hard, and within seconds his breathing quickened and his face was flushed, but she knew his stamina was excellent and she’d have to do better than that to get him to lose control. So she reached down a hand and made a ring of her forefinger and thumb, which she closed around the base of his shaft, then tightened until he moaned. Now when she moved, she moved her hand too, creating a delicious contrast between the tightness of her fingers and the softness inside of her.</p>
<p>“Oh!” he gasped. “Oh god!”</p>
<p>To her delight, he was showing clear signs of breaking after only a few strokes: his eyes were tightly closed and he was gripping the sheets so hard his knuckles whitened. She reached out her other hand and drew her nails down his chest and stomach, and his eyes flew open and he cried out:</p>
<p>“Stop! Stop!”</p>
<p>She stopped moving and grinned in satisfaction as he pressed his hands to his face.</p>
<p>“<em>Fuck</em>”, he breathed. “Fuck, you’re <em>incredible</em>.”</p>
<p>“Do you surrender?” she teased him.</p>
<p>He looked up at her and his eyes were shining with admiration.</p>
<p>“Yes”, he said. “I surrender to you, Raquel, I surrender everything. I’m all yours.”</p>
<p>“That’s what I like to hear”, she smiled.</p>
<p>He laughed, then grabbed her wrist and pulled her down to kiss her. When she pulled back, she felt his mood shift as he gave her a soft look.</p>
<p>“I love you, you know.”</p>
<p>She felt a sudden ache in her chest. “I love you too.”</p>
<p>He carefully pushed back her hair, then lifted his head to kiss her so tenderly it made her want to cry.</p>
<p>“Raquel”, he said softly, “I’ll do better from now on. I promise. You <em>deserve</em> better.”</p>
<p>She leaned her forehead against his in response, and they closed their eyes and stayed like that for a while, just connecting. Finally he took a deep breath and said:</p>
<p>“I never want to fight with you again.”</p>
<p>“Me neither”, she murmured, and in that moment, it really felt like that was possible.</p>
<p>“Now stay close to me”, he whispered, then he sighed happily as she pressed her body against his and started moving again. He wrapped his arms around her and murmured softly in her ear:</p>
<p>“Oh, I love the way you move.”</p>
<p>She set a slower pace now, kissing him deeply as his hands tenderly stroked her back, and soon they were entirely wrapped up in each other. They moved together so easily, so completely in tune with one another, whispering sweet things and exchanging soft caresses, the entire world reduced to their two bodies, moving as one. Finally he tensed, but at the last moment, she felt a last remnant of resistance holding him back as he clenched his jaw and frowned.</p>
<p>“Hey”, she whispered, kissing his cheek. “It’s alright. I love you. Always, my love, no matter what.”</p>
<p>He sighed and she felt him relax.</p>
<p>“I love you too”, he murmured, then he wrapped his arms around her, buried his face in her hair and whispered her name as he finally let go.</p>
<p>She covered him with kisses as he caught his breath, then she tried to get off him, but he wouldn’t let her.</p>
<p>“Oh no”, he rumbled, tightening his arms around her. “No, you’re staying right here.”</p>
<p>So she laughed softly and rested her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat as it gradually slowed down. He kissed her hair.</p>
<p>“God, Raquel”, he whispered, “you’re amazing. You’re <em>amazing.”</em></p>
<p>And there it was again, in the back of her mind: Berlin’s voice. <em>You may have captured his attention in the bedroom for now, but at some point that will fade, and then what will you have?</em></p>
<p>But this time, the words didn’t touch her. This time, she was warm and safe in his arms and the words were just words. <em>Shut up, Berlin, </em>she thought, cuddling closer to him. <em>You have </em>no idea <em>what we have.</em></p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Villain</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I just want to say one thing about this chapter: trust me :)</p>
<p>As always, a huge thank you to my amazing beta reader, thegirloverseas!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Day 7</strong>
</p>
<p>As they returned to the control room, they stayed close together, laughing softly, touching constantly. He spent the entire taxi ride – short as it was – with his mouth at her ear, murmuring sweet things. Getting out of the taxi, before she could open the door of the hangar, he pushed her up against it and kissed her, kissed her, kissed her until she was breathless. When they finally walked through the door, holding hands, Nairobi took one look at them and grinned broadly.</p>
<p>“So, did you have a good… talk?”</p>
<p>“Yes”, Raquel smiled. “We really did.”</p>
<p>“Best talk of my life”, Sergio mumbled, then turned slightly red with an embarrassed grin as the two women laughed, and Raquel reached up to kiss him again.</p>
<p>Nairobi shook her head with an expression of amused satisfaction. “You two really are disgustingly cute.”</p>
<p>“I know”, Raquel said happily, not taking her eyes off Sergio, who was giving her a warm smile.</p>
<p>Nairobi snapped her fingers. “Hello, earth to the love birds. Not to burst your bubble or anything, but you still have a heist to run.”</p>
<p>“Right”, Raquel said, shaking herself and stepping away from Sergio, who cleared his throat and pushed his glasses up his nose.</p>
<p>“How did everything go, Nairobi?” he asked.</p>
<p>“Oh, fine”, she said. “The cop gave me no trouble, she’s still sleeping. But I don’t know how the both of you haven’t died of boredom yet, staring at these screens all day.”</p>
<p>She saw them exchange a glance and she snorted. “Though I’m guessing you’ve found ways to keep each other entertained.”</p>
<p>“Thank you for keeping an eye on things while we were gone”, Raquel said.</p>
<p>“You’re welcome”, Nairobi said, getting up. “I’ll get back to my presses now, you can take over again.” Then she threw them a sharp look. “You <em>are </em>going to watch the screens, right? Or are you going straight back to kissing when I’m gone?”</p>
<p>“We’ll watch the screens”, Raquel assured her. “Don’t worry.”</p>
<p>“We can control ourselves”, Sergio said with dignity.</p>
<p>“Hmm”, Nairobi said, raising a finger in mock warning. “You better. Because if I die in a hostage rebellion because you two were sitting here making googly eyes at each other, I <em>will </em>come back to haunt you.”</p>
<p>Sergio sat down at the desk while Raquel walked Nairobi to the entrance of the tunnel, where she gave her a warm hug.</p>
<p>“Thank you”, Raquel whispered.</p>
<p>Nairobi chuckled and patted her on the back. “Anytime. I didn’t get you two together only to see you fall apart <em>now</em>.”</p>
<p>…</p>
<p>Raquel felt much better throughout the morning. Berlin’s words still echoed through her mind sporadically, and she still felt a small stab of unease whenever she saw Sergio talk to Elena, but it was all much more manageable now. She decided not to bother him with her insecurities – not while they were running such a massive operation – not when they would be out of here in a few days and everything would change anyway. Once they started their lives together, they would soon enough find out if they were truly compatible, if they would have anything to talk about. She’d just have to wait and see, so she pushed her fears aside and focused on getting this heist done.</p>
<p>Sergio spent the entirety of lunch trying to persuade Elena to come over to his way of thinking, but to Raquel’s delight, she wouldn’t budge. After about half an hour, Sergio came over to her and sat down next to her at the desk, heaving a frustrated sigh.</p>
<p>“I just can’t change her mind. She’s so stubborn.”</p>
<p>“Hmm”, Raquel said. “Not unlike someone else I know.”</p>
<p>He looked up in surprise. “I’m not stubborn.”</p>
<p>“Hmm”, she said again. “Why do you want to persuade her so badly?”</p>
<p>“Because I’m right.”</p>
<p>“So?”</p>
<p>“I need her to see that!”</p>
<p>“Why?”</p>
<p>“Because… because then I’ve won.”</p>
<p>“I don’t think she’s going to let you win though.”</p>
<p>“Of course she won’t <em>let </em>me, that’s the challenge!”</p>
<p>“You’re getting nowhere.”</p>
<p>“I will! I’m sure of it.”</p>
<p>“I think you should just give up.”</p>
<p>“Never”, he smiled. “There has to be a way in with her, and I’ll find it.”</p>
<p>“I see”, she said lightly.</p>
<p>“See what?”</p>
<p>She grinned at him. “That you’re not stubborn.”</p>
<p>He laughed and leaned in to kiss her. Then he nodded at the radio and asked:</p>
<p>“How is Angel doing over there?”</p>
<p>“Okay”, she frowned. “But this is the first time he’s leading an operation like this and I’m afraid he’ll want to prove himself. I think it’s time we let him discover the house in Toledo so he’ll be distracted for a few days. He has to feel like he’s getting somewhere or he might do something stupid.”</p>
<p>“Alright”, Sergio nodded. “I’ll lead him to Toledo, then.”</p>
<p>He picked up the phone and followed the script they’d prepared for this moment, gradually steering the talk in such a way that he could drop the name of the village nearest to the house into the conversation as if it were an accident. And sure enough, the moment he hung up, they could hear through Angel’s bug that he ordered people to start researching possible locations near the village. Half an hour later, the house had been localized.</p>
<p>“Let’s go!” they heard Angel say, and they grinned broadly at each other. That couldn’t have gone any smoother, and now Angel would be completely out of their hair for the next two days or so.</p>
<p>An hour later, Angel and his team arrived at the house, and they listened closely, but it was clear that Angel suspected nothing at first glance. So Raquel left Sergio to listen to the transmission, as she went into the Mint to tell Monica and Denver the good news that Monica would be allowed to join the team.</p>
<p>…</p>
<p>Sergio was listening attentively to the transmission from Angel’s bug. He wanted to know Angel’s first impressions – if he became suspicious at some point, they needed to know it. There were many different voices coming through the radio – different people coming up to talk to Angel. But then one particular voice caught his attention.</p>
<p>“Hello Angel.”</p>
<p>Angel’s reply was polite but cool. “Hello Alberto.”</p>
<p>Sergio looked up sharply. Was this… yes, it had to be.</p>
<p>“So you’re in charge now?”</p>
<p>“I am.”</p>
<p>“Well, tell me what we have here.”</p>
<p>Raquel was climbing back up from the tunnel, and Sergio suddenly felt a surge of worry. He couldn’t let her hear – the last time something had reminded her of Alberto, she’d had a panic attack. What would it do to her to actually hear his voice? As she walked over to him, he could think of only one thing. He switched the radio off.</p>
<p>“Why are you turning it off?” she said as she sat down next to him.</p>
<p>“I… there’s nothing interesting to hear right now.”</p>
<p>“I don’t agree, I want to hear what proceedings he’s using. Turn it back on.”</p>
<p>He hesitated. “No.”</p>
<p>She frowned. “Sergio, turn it back on.”</p>
<p>“No, that’s… that’s not a good idea.”</p>
<p>“Why not?”</p>
<p>He cast around for an excuse, but he could think of no good reason.</p>
<p>He sighed. “There’s… someone there whose voice you might not want to hear.”</p>
<p>Her frown deepened, but then comprehension dawned on her face.</p>
<p>“Oh. Alberto.”</p>
<p>He nodded. “I’m sorry.”</p>
<p>“I suppose it makes sense they brought him in. He’s the best. I should have seen it coming.”</p>
<p>“You don’t have to listen to the radio over the next two days”, he assured her. “I can do that. Unfortunately this radio doesn’t have a plug for headphones, so you’ll have to stay away from the desk so you won’t hear anything, but you can keep an eye on the team and on Elena.”</p>
<p>She was quiet for a moment, then she said: “No, I want to hear him.”</p>
<p>“Raquel”, he said carefully, “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”</p>
<p>She swallowed but shook her head. “I want to hear him, Sergio.”</p>
<p>He hesitated. “Really?”</p>
<p>“I’m already so limited in my movements in here, I refuse to stick only to the corners of the hangar for <em>him. </em>I won’t let him limit me anymore. Turn it on.”</p>
<p>“Are you sure?”</p>
<p>She steeled herself. “Yes.”</p>
<p>Sergio held out his hand and squeezed when she took it.</p>
<p>“I’m right here with you.”</p>
<p>She took a deep breath and nodded.</p>
<p>Very reluctantly, Sergio turned the radio back on, keeping his eyes on Raquel to see how she’d react. When Alberto’s voice came out, she pressed her lips together and she held on tightly to his hand. As he saw her fight to maintain control of herself, Sergio felt a deep, burning sense of anger at the voice on the radio rise up in him – this man had hurt her, had hurt the woman he loved and she was still bearing the scars of that. His anger grew stronger as he saw how pale she became, as he felt her start to shake just a little, but he kept it contained, showing not even a glimpse of it to her as he softly said:</p>
<p>“It’s okay. He can’t hurt you.”</p>
<p>“I know”, she breathed. “I know.”</p>
<p>She was clearly struggling, but to his relief, she showed no signs of breaking down this time. After a few minutes, though, he turned the radio back off.</p>
<p>“That’s enough for now.”</p>
<p>She relaxed, and he pulled her onto his lap and wrapped his arms around her as she curled up against his chest.</p>
<p>“That was so brave of you”, he murmured against her hair. “I’m proud of you.”</p>
<p>She simply nestled herself closer to him, and they stayed sitting like that for a little while. Then she said softly:</p>
<p>“Remember when I had that panic attack back at the house, because Berlin reminded me of Alberto?”</p>
<p>“Yes, I do.”</p>
<p>She looked up at him. “You were so sweet to me then, too. Calming me down, staying with me, even though it was hard for you. You even hugged me.”</p>
<p>He smiled at the memory. “That was the first time I got to hold you. It was the best feeling in the world.”</p>
<p>“Really?” she smiled. “I thought maybe it made you uncomfortable.”</p>
<p>“No”, he murmured. “I never wanted to let you go again. And now I never have to.”</p>
<p>She stroked his cheek, and he bent his head and pressed his lips against hers in a tender kiss. They kept kissing for several long moments, soft, sweet kisses as he held her close. After a while, he said:</p>
<p>“Can I ask you something?”</p>
<p>“Of course”, she said, and he was glad to hear that she sounded completely normal again.</p>
<p>“Your ex-husband… how did he frame you, exactly? I know he planted drugs at your house that came from an evidence room at the police station, but how did he get those drugs?”</p>
<p>She got off his lap and sat back down in her own chair.</p>
<p>“Well”, she said, “I can only tell you what was found during the investigation.”</p>
<p>“What I’m wondering”, he said, “is this: aren’t there video cameras in evidence rooms? Wouldn’t they have caught him stealing the drugs?”</p>
<p>She shook her head. “The cameras were hacked into from an outside source and the relevant material was deleted.”</p>
<p>“What outside source?”</p>
<p>“Some hacker Alberto paid, probably. They were never able to track him down.”</p>
<p>“But if there was no footage of you taking the drugs, how come everyone was so ready to believe you did it?”</p>
<p>“Ah”, she said. “You see, you need a badge to open the door to the evidence room, so every entry is scanned and registered into the system. Alberto stole my badge and used it to open the door.”</p>
<p>Sergio frowned. “Did people really believe you were stupid enough to use your own badge to open the evidence room with the intention of stealing something? Wasn’t that a huge red flag?”</p>
<p>“No”, she sighed sadly. “Because that’s where he got really clever. He got the same outside hacker to erase the scan of my badge from the system, only he erased it <em>badly</em>, so the trace of it could still be uncovered with a little bit of work. That way, it looked like I’d entered the evidence room and tried to cover it up.”</p>
<p>“Oh”, Sergio said. “Yes, that would make you look very guilty.”</p>
<p>“It did”, she said drily.</p>
<p>He felt his anger flicker up again, stronger this time. This man had hurt her in so many ways, had done so many awful things to her, and yet he was out there, living his life as usual. It wasn’t fair that he should have to bear no consequences whatsoever for his actions. No, it wasn’t fair at all. He wished with all his might that he could do something about it, that he could somehow make it right for her.</p>
<p>She rubbed her face, then said: “Alright, we should turn the radio back on.”</p>
<p>He nodded. “But you should go eat with Elena, stay away from here for a bit. Now you know that you don’t have to avoid the desk if you don’t want to, but I will still be the one actually listening to the transmission from now on, until Alberto leaves.”</p>
<p>She shot him a look. “Thank you.”</p>
<p>He smiled. “Of course.”</p>
<p>She leaned in to kiss him, then got up and rolled Elena’s chair towards the table. She bound her ankles to the chair first, then untied her hands so she could eat.</p>
<p>“So”, Elena said, as Raquel sat down across from her. “That’s how he framed you, huh?”</p>
<p>“You heard that?”</p>
<p>“Well, it’s not like I was <em>trying </em>to overhear you, but I don’t exactly have a choice in the matter.” She shook her head. “That was clever of him. I always wondered how he did it.”</p>
<p>Raquel looked up sharply. “You mean… you believe me?”</p>
<p>Elena nodded. “Yes. I never believed you were guilty.”</p>
<p>“Why?” Raquel said, baffled. “Even my closest colleagues thought I did it, and you barely knew me.”</p>
<p>“I didn’t know <em>you</em>”, Elena said darkly, “but I knew <em>him</em>.”</p>
<p>“You knew Alberto?”</p>
<p>Elena sighed. “Yes. We used to work together.”</p>
<p>“I didn’t know you used to work in our district”, Raquel said, surprised.</p>
<p>“I did. It was my first posting after I got out of the Academy. Almost fifteen years ago now.”</p>
<p>Something in Elena’s tone and expression made Raquel give her a closer look.</p>
<p>“Did you know Alberto well?”</p>
<p>“Not… not really.”</p>
<p>There was something there, though – Raquel could feel it.</p>
<p>“Did you date him?”</p>
<p>“No, I told you I don’t do relationships.”</p>
<p>“Did you sleep with him, then?”</p>
<p>Elena shook her head. “No, but he did ask me out.”</p>
<p>“Oh”, Raquel said. “And?”</p>
<p>“I said no. He didn’t like that.”</p>
<p>“I’m sure he didn’t.”</p>
<p>Elena’s voice was full of disdain as she continued: “Men who hit their wives often have very fragile egos. So he wouldn’t let it go. He kept asking, over and over again, until I dreaded having to go down to forensics.”</p>
<p>Yes, Raquel thought, that was Alberto. Never taking no for an answer.</p>
<p>She shook her head. “He shouldn’t have pressured you like that, especially since you were still so young.”</p>
<p>Elena seemed to hesitate, and Raquel frowned.</p>
<p>“That’s not the whole story, is it?”</p>
<p>Elena took a deep breath, then said:</p>
<p>“One day, I went down to forensics and he was the only one there. He… he immediately started asking me out again, and he was very charming at first.”</p>
<p>“I’m sure he was”, Raquel said, feeling a twinge of unease.</p>
<p>“But when I kept refusing, he became a lot less pleasant. He was saying I wasn’t being fair to him, I should at least give him a <em>chance</em>. He was sure he could change my mind. He kept… he kept coming closer to me and I kept backing away until I had my back against the wall.”</p>
<p>Raquel’s unease deepened as Elena paused for a moment. Then she went on:</p>
<p>“I tried to get away, but… but he pushed me against the wall.” Elena was frowning now, clearly struggling with the memory. “I was a police woman, Raquel. I’d just gone through training. I thought I could defend myself. But he was police too, and… and I couldn’t get away. He was so much stronger than me. It was… the most awful feeling of helplessness.”</p>
<p>Raquel nodded – yes, she knew that feeling, <em>god</em>, she could still feel it in her bones.</p>
<p>Elena looked up. “And then he kissed me.”</p>
<p>Raquel’s feeling of unease turned into dread. She’d gotten to know Elena a little over the past few days, and she had a feeling of what had happened next.</p>
<p>“What did you do?” she whispered.</p>
<p>Elena lifted her chin. “I punched him in the stomach, of course.”</p>
<p>Raquel closed her eyes. Fighting back was the worst thing she could have done – Raquel knew that all too well.</p>
<p>“And then?”</p>
<p>“He hit me. Right across the face.”</p>
<p>Raquel felt nauseous – she knew what came after that first slap. But then Elena said:</p>
<p>“And then a colleague walked in.” She shook her head. “Honestly, I don’t know what would have happened otherwise.”</p>
<p>Raquel nodded, relief flooding through her. “He could have really hurt you.”</p>
<p>Elena looked up at her, and there was a glint of steel in her dark eyes.</p>
<p>“Oh no”, she said coolly, “I meant what would have happened to <em>him</em>. I had my hand on my gun when old Martínez walked in. I would have fucking kneecapped him if he so much as <em>moved </em>in my direction again.”</p>
<p>Raquel had no doubt that she would have.</p>
<p>“So what happened then?”</p>
<p>“I got out of there as fast as I could. I got into my car and drove – I had to get away from there. It wasn’t until I pulled up in front of my house that I realized I should have gone straight to the office to report him. I knew I should drive back. I knew I should go to my boss and make an official statement.”</p>
<p>“But you didn’t”, Raquel said softly.</p>
<p>Elena pressed her lips together and shook her head. “I didn’t.”</p>
<p>“You thought they wouldn’t believe you.”</p>
<p>Elena nodded. “It was a classic he-said she-said. By then, the handprint on my face had already faded, so I had no evidence. I wasn’t shaking, I wasn’t in shock, and I <em>knew </em>I wouldn’t be able to cry when telling the story – in short, I was completely unbelievable as a victim. Martínez, on the other hand, wasn’t much of a witness: all he’d seen was me reaching for my gun. And I knew what happened to ‘difficult’ women on the force. Whether you’re believed or not – you get shifted to the side, always overlooked for promotions. I had ambition. I wanted to reach the top someday. So I asked for a transfer and I kept my mouth shut.”</p>
<p>She shot Raquel a guilty look, but Raquel shook her head. “You don’t have to explain yourself to me, Elena. I know all the consequences women face in that position.”</p>
<p>“I told myself he’d just been angry because I’d punched him – I told myself he’d never actually hurt someone under normal circumstances. But he did. He hurt you.”</p>
<p>Raquel was experiencing a lot of conflicting emotions. “And you’ve been feeling guilty about that?”</p>
<p>“That’s… that’s part of it, yes.”</p>
<p>“There’s more?”</p>
<p>Elena sighed. “Don’t you realize, Raquel? When you were tried for drug possession, you tried to tell people Alberto had framed you. You told the judge about the domestic abuse. If he’d believed you, that would have been a major discrediting factor for Alberto. But the judge didn’t believe you. Why not?”</p>
<p>Raquel suddenly felt cold. “Because he had no priors.”</p>
<p>“Exactly”, Elena said bitterly. “If there had been any previously reported instances of violence on his part – even just one – it’s quite likely that the judge would have believed you about the domestic abuse. That would have spoken to Alberto’s character, and suddenly you accusing him of framing you wouldn’t have seemed so far-fetched anymore.”</p>
<p>She took a deep breath and when she looked up at Raquel, there was something almost pleading in her eyes.</p>
<p>“I thought about testifying at your trial, Raquel. I really did. But who would have believed me? It was fifteen years ago, and I never reported it. I… I thought it wouldn’t make a difference. I never thought they’d convict you and… and I was still afraid it would impact my career.” She bent her head. “I’m so sorry. I should have at least tried. When I heard they’d actually convicted you… nine years… I… I felt terrible.”</p>
<p>Something suddenly dawned on Raquel.</p>
<p>“Oh. So <em>that’s</em> why you offered to help me when you found me here.”</p>
<p>“Yes”, Elena said quietly. “I know nothing can make up for what I did… or rather, didn’t do. But I thought if I could help you, that was the least I could do.”</p>
<p>Raquel considered her for a long moment, processing what she’d just heard. Then she said:</p>
<p>“First things first: I don’t blame you for not reporting him.”</p>
<p>“But if I’d reported him, that would have gone on his record and you might never have married him.”</p>
<p>“It doesn’t matter”, Raquel said softly. “I can’t blame you for being scared they wouldn’t believe you. I can’t blame you for not wanting to ruin your career. I can’t blame you for not foreseeing that he would go on to beat his wife all those years later. And I certainly can’t blame you for not reporting him, when it took me a year and a half to do it myself.”</p>
<p>“I still should have testified for you”, Elena whispered.</p>
<p>“Well”, Raquel said. “About that. Really, I need to thank you.”</p>
<p>Elena looked up. “What do you mean?”</p>
<p>“If you’d testified, that might indeed have swayed the judge, and then I wouldn’t have been convicted. Then I wouldn’t have been sent to jail.”</p>
<p>She suddenly smiled. “Then I wouldn’t have met Sergio.”</p>
<p>Elena looked at her in disbelief. “You’re not saying…”</p>
<p>“Yes, I am. Being sentenced to jail is one of the best things that ever happened to me. If I could do it all over again, I wouldn’t change a thing.”</p>
<p>Elena was shaking her head. “Seriously? For <em>him</em>?”</p>
<p>“He’s the love of my life”, Raquel said simply. “Every part of my life, everything I’ve been through, has brought me to the people I love. My marriage brought me my daughter, and my conviction brought me to Sergio. I have no regrets. And you shouldn’t either.”</p>
<p>Elena gave her a careful look. “What are you saying?”</p>
<p>Raquel paused, then said: “I forgive you.”</p>
<p>“Are you serious?” Elena whispered.</p>
<p>“Yes”, Raquel nodded. “When you’re a woman in this world, there are moments when you’re forced to make impossible choices. In hindsight, it’s easy to see what the better path would have been, but how could you have known it at the time? So I forgive you. I do.” She gave Elena a closer look. “And I give you permission to forgive yourself.”</p>
<p>Elena lifted her head, and it looked like a heavy burden was falling off her shoulders.</p>
<p>“Thank you”, she said, and there was just the slightest tremble in her voice. “Thank you for saying that.”</p>
<p>Raquel regarded her for a moment, then she smiled.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry we never got to know each other sooner, Elena. Before all of this mess.”</p>
<p>Elena smiled back, a genuine, warm smile. “Yes. Yes, I would have liked that.”</p>
<p>Raquel hesitated, but she couldn’t resist trying where Sergio had failed.</p>
<p>“Why don’t you come over to our side, Elena? You know we’re not bad people. Help us get away safely, and we’ll give you a cut of the money.”</p>
<p>Elena grinned. “Nice try, Raquel, but I still don’t agree with what you’re doing now. I regret that we’re on opposite sides of this, but that doesn’t change the fact that we <em>are </em>on opposite sides.”</p>
<p>Raquel laughed as she got up from the table. “Fair enough. I have to admire your moral backbone.”</p>
<p>Elena looked up at her earnestly. “Once I arrest you, though, I’ll help you as much as I can.”</p>
<p>Raquel chuckled as she kneeled to tie Elena’s hands again. “That’s very optimistic of you, because it doesn’t look to me like you’re arresting anyone soon.”</p>
<p>…</p>
<p>Several hours later, Elena came out of a daze of boredom to realize that there was some sort of commotion around the tunnel. White male, late twenties, dark hair, she noted automatically as a new figure emerged from the tunnel. Then the newcomer heaved something out of the hole in the ground and Elena’s eyes went wide. It was a large roll of bills, all fifties, tightly compressed. They were starting to move their money.</p>
<p>“No”, she heard Sergio say to Raquel, “we won’t load it until the last day.”</p>
<p>“Why not?”</p>
<p>He glanced over at her.</p>
<p>“Because once we bring in our… means of transportation, we’ll have to blindfold Elena so she doesn’t see it. I’d prefer it if we didn’t have to keep her blindfolded for another four days.”</p>
<p>Thanks, Elena thought. All things considered, he wasn’t the worst psychopath she’d ever met. No, that honor went to the next person coming through the tunnel with another roll of money. Berlin grinned and waved at her, and she gave him her dirtiest look. Jesus, she’d never met anyone who rubbed her up the wrong way <em>this much</em>.</p>
<p>“Alright”, Raquel said. “I suppose we can load all of it in a few hours, so we can do that the last day. Where will we stock it all in the meantime? It’s going to take up a lot of space.”</p>
<p>Sergio gestured towards the corner of the hangar behind Elena. “Berlin? Let’s put it over there.”</p>
<p>Berlin sauntered over to her with a grin. “Let’s get you out of the way, princess.”</p>
<p>She felt a strong urge to back away from him, but unfortunately her options were rather limited in that regard – even though her ankles weren’t tied, her wrists were tightly bound behind her back and attached to the chair.</p>
<p>“Don’t touch me”, she warned him sharply.</p>
<p>He took hold of the back of the chair and rolled it towards the chain link fence that separated the different parts of the hangar. He put her in front of it, then came around and crouched down in front of her. She tried to fight down her disgust as he put a hand on her knee and grinned up at her.</p>
<p>“Don’t touch me”, she repeated in a low voice, but he didn’t remove his hand.</p>
<p>“I have a proposition for you”, he said. “Why don’t you come with me when we leave? We’ll buy a tropical island somewhere, just the two of us.”</p>
<p>“God”, she said, wrinkling her nose. “That sounds absolutely <em>horrifying</em>. Now take your hands off me.”</p>
<p>“Just imagine it, Inspector… Spending our days underneath the palm trees.”</p>
<p>“I hope a coconut falls on your head. Now <em>take your hand off my knee</em>.”</p>
<p>“Or what?” he grinned, not moving his hand.</p>
<p>She regarded him for a moment, then braced herself and kicked him sharply on the shin.</p>
<p>He jumped up, inhaling sharply, but then immediately recovered and laughed.</p>
<p>“You’re feisty. I like that.”</p>
<p>This time, he crouched down next to her so she couldn’t kick him again, and he put his hand on her elbow, smiling. She was bound so tightly that she couldn’t shake him off, and she was getting <em>really </em>fed up with him.</p>
<p>“Go <em>away</em>, Berlin.”</p>
<p>“I stand by my proposal. Just think it over.”</p>
<p>He reached up a hand and slowly brushed an escaped lock of hair behind her ear, a gesture so creepy it made her shudder. Okay, that was it. She’d had enough.</p>
<p>She sharply turned her head. “I’m not the first woman you made that proposal to though, am I?”</p>
<p>He froze.</p>
<p>“Yes”, she continued. “I talked to that poor girl when she came out. I know what you did to her.”</p>
<p>His smile had faded now. “Our relationship was consensual.”</p>
<p>“Really?” Elena scoffed. “I suppose that’s why she was crying and shaking when she told me about it.”</p>
<p>She leaned closer to him, as much as her ropes would allow.</p>
<p>“Is that the kind of man you are? Forcing yourself on women who can’t escape? Does it get you off that they have no choice?”</p>
<p>She could see that he was getting angry, but she wasn’t scared of him. She continued:</p>
<p>“And then you delude yourself into thinking she actually <em>likes </em>you. So let me make one thing very clear Berlin: I don’t like you. You <em>disgust</em> me. You’re a sadist and an egomaniac and a rapist. You take advantage of those who are weaker than you and you call that honor.”</p>
<p>She pulled back to give him a look full of disdain. “But you have no honor. You’re a bastard and a coward.”</p>
<p>He jumped up, took her by the shoulders and slammed her backwards against the fence. She gasped as a sharp piece of wire cut her hand, but she gritted her teeth so he wouldn’t notice as she looked up at him and said acidly:</p>
<p>“Is this how you’re disproving my point, huh? I take it back now, you’re <em>quite</em> the gentleman.”</p>
<p>The next moment, Raquel was there, pulling Berlin off of her.</p>
<p>“Berlin, I told you to leave her <em>alone</em>!”</p>
<p>He immediately slipped back into his usual charming persona, his self-control back in place.</p>
<p>“We were just talking, Lisbon”, he said smoothly.</p>
<p>“That’s not what it looked like”, Raquel said angrily.</p>
<p>“Don’t worry”, Berlin grinned. “I think she likes it rough.”</p>
<p>Raquel gave him a look of outrage, then said: “You know Berlin, you shouldn’t be allowed to interact with women at all.”</p>
<p>“Oh”, Berlin said, giving Elena a cool look. “She’s not a woman. She’s a cat.”</p>
<p>“Why don’t you go make yourself useful instead of insulting our prisoner?” Raquel said heatedly.</p>
<p>He shot Elena one last, long look, then walked away. Raquel kneeled down in front of her.</p>
<p>“Are you okay?”</p>
<p>“Yes”, she said with dignity. “I’m fine.”</p>
<p>“I won’t let him come near you again.”</p>
<p>“I’d appreciate that, yes.”</p>
<p>It wasn’t until Raquel walked away that she realized there was blood trickling down her hand. She opened her mouth to call Raquel back, but then she froze. She was still pressed up against the fence from when Berlin had slammed her into it, and now she started exploring the wire links with trembling fingers. <em>Yes</em>, there it was, the sharp piece that had cut her. She remained motionless for a while, observing the people walking back and forth, but they were busy moving the money and they weren’t paying her any attention. Slowly, carefully, she positioned her wrists so her ropes were pressed against the sharp piece of wire, then she started making tiny back and forth movements so the wire started cutting into the rope. There was almost no chance that this would actually work, but it was a chance anyway, a <em>chance</em>. It would take forever, but if they left her here long enough, Elena thought, assuming a bored expression as behind her back she kept grazing her rope past the piece of wire again and again… it just might work.</p>
<p>…</p>
<p>Raquel was looking at the pile of rolled-up bills in the corner of the hangar with a feeling of deep satisfaction. It was all coming together now.</p>
<p>“Are you sure you don’t want some of this?” she called out to Elena, who was sitting a little further along the fence.</p>
<p>“Quite”, Elena said shortly.</p>
<p>Raquel shrugged and turned back to the money. This was only the first part, there would be much more to come, but it was late and the tired team was returning to the Mint to sleep.</p>
<p>“I’m going with them for a moment”, Sergio said, walking over to her. “I need to talk to Berlin.”</p>
<p>“Alright”, she said. “Can you ask Nairobi if she wants to come over for an hour or so? I’d like some company when you go to bed.”</p>
<p>“Sure”, he said, wrapping his arms around her from behind so they could look at the money together. “It’s really happening, Raquel. Soon we’ll be out of here.”</p>
<p>Yes, she thought. Soon this would finally be over and their new life would begin. It was so close now, so close she could almost taste it. She turned around in his arms and tilted up her face to kiss him.</p>
<p>“Thank you for being here”, he whispered. “I couldn’t have done this without you. We’re a team, you and me.”</p>
<p>“Yes”, she murmured back. “You and me. <em>Always </em>you and me.”</p>
<p>He gave her one more kiss, then he let go of her and followed Denver down the ladder.</p>
<p>Raquel sauntered over to the screens, but there was nothing interesting to see there. She flipped through the channels for a minute or two, then got up again and walked towards their sleeping area with the vague thought that she wanted to wash.</p>
<p>When she passed Elena, she suddenly said:</p>
<p>“Raquel?”</p>
<p>“Yes?” she said, stopping in front of Elena’s chair.</p>
<p>Elena was looking at her with a strange mixture of regret and determination.</p>
<p>“Once I get out of here… <em>run</em>, okay?”</p>
<p>Raquel frowned. “What?”</p>
<p>Suddenly Elena jumped up, her hands loose somehow, and in a flash, she’d grabbed Raquel’s gun from the waistband of her jeans. Instinctively, Raquel grabbed at it, and for a moment, they struggled over the gun, both trying to get a firm grip on it.</p>
<p>“Raquel, don’t!” Elena yelled, but it was too late.</p>
<p>Raquel’s fingers slipped and hit the trigger, and the gun went off with an ear-splitting <em>bang</em>.</p>
<p>Time slowed down. There was a hot, burning pain in her shoulder as she staggered backwards, then fell to her knees, dazed, her ears ringing. She looked down and there was blood – a lot of blood – too much blood. She slumped sideways to the ground and as the edges of her vision went blurry, she realized vaguely that she was going into shock. The last thing she saw was Elena running for the door. Then there was only darkness.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Raquel</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'm sorry to keep you waiting for a week after that cliffhanger! :D I hope this chapter is worth the wait!</p><p>Once again, I need to thank the wonderful thegirloverseas for being the best beta reader a writer could possibly ask for, and the best friend too ♥ Thank you for your encouragement, for always being there for me, and especially for your enthusiasm for this chapter! </p><p>A big thank you also to heartunderfire, who made sure the medical aspects of this chapter are accurate and realistic :)</p><p>Enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p><em>Fuck</em>, Elena thought as she ran for the door. <em>Fuck, fuck, fuck! </em> This shouldn’t have happened! She’d never meant to hurt Raquel, she’d just wanted to get out. <em>Shoulder wound, non-fatal</em>. She’d hoped Raquel would be able to run before she got back with backup, but that wouldn’t be happening now. <em>Back to the tent, ten minutes at a run. </em>She just hoped Sergio would get back soon. <em>Ambulance, twenty minutes. </em>She reached the door and threw one last look over her shoulder back at Raquel, who was lying on the ground with blood pooling underneath her. A <em>lot </em>of blood. Too much blood. She shouldn’t be bleeding this much from a shot to the shoulder. <em>The subclavian artery</em>, it flashed through Elena’s mind. But it <em>couldn’t </em>be, the subclavian was almost impossible to hit, safely hidden beneath the collarbone. Elena put her hand on the door handle, torn. She was so close to freedom, but the blood, the <em>blood</em>…</p><p>Fuck it, she <em>had </em>to check on Raquel, just to make sure the subclavian wasn’t hit. She ran back into the hangar and kneeled by Raquel’s side, her pants instantly soaked with blood. God, <em>so much blood</em>. She carefully pushed Raquel onto her back, and immediately realized from the way the blood was pumping out in bursts from a hole just underneath her collarbone that the bullet had indeed hit an artery. <em>Subclavian artery, exsanguination time 4 minutes. </em>If she left now, Raquel would bleed to death long before she could get back with an ambulance. Swearing loudly, Elena got up and ran to the sleeping area of the hangar, where she grabbed one of Sergio’s clean shirts and returned with it to press it to the wound. She couldn’t just let her die, she <em>couldn’t</em>.</p><p>With one hand, she pressed the shirt firmly against Raquel’s chest, while patting her cheek with the other.</p><p>“Raquel”, she said urgently. “<em>Raquel!”</em></p><p>There was no response, and Elena pressed her fingers to Raquel’s throat right underneath the line of her jaw. Yes, thank god, there was still a pulse. She tried again, patting her cheek, leaving bloody fingerprints on her face.</p><p>“Raquel, <em>please!”</em></p><p>Raquel’s eyelids flickered, and Elena felt an immense rush of relief.</p><p>“Stay with me!” she said. “Stay with me, okay?”</p><p>“Sergio”, Raquel whispered.</p><p>“He’ll be right here”, Elena said, hoping fervently that it was true. “He’ll be <em>right here</em>, don’t worry.”</p><p>The shirt in her hands was already soaked and red, but at least the blood seeping from underneath it had slowed down to a trickle. Every second seemed like an eternity to Elena. <em>Sergio, where are you? </em>Raquel’s eyes closed again, and this time Elena couldn’t wake her. She felt a wave of nausea. She’d already failed this woman twice – would the third time be fatal?</p><p>Finally, she heard voices, and looked up to see two people emerge from the tunnel. They saw Raquel and froze.</p><p>“Call an ambulance!” Elena yelled. “Quickly!”</p><p>Sergio suddenly seemed to make sense of the situation and he ran to them, falling to his knees beside Raquel.</p><p>“No”, he whispered, his eyes wide with horror. “No, no, <em>please </em>no, Raquel!”</p><p>“She’s alive”, Elena said, “but just barely. <em>Call an ambulance!”</em></p><p>He was still staring at Raquel, seeming paralyzed with shock, so Elena lifted a hand and hit him sharply on the cheek.</p><p>“Snap out of it, Sergio, she needs you!”</p><p>He blinked, then took out his phone with trembling hands.</p><p>“An ambulance will take twenty-one minutes to get here and take her to the hospital”, he said, his voice shaking. “I have a doctor on standby.”</p><p>“Well tell him to <em>hurry.</em>”</p><p>Sergio was holding the phone to his ear. “Mikael? Man down, come immediately.”</p><p>He threw the phone aside and turned back to Raquel. Elena firmly took his hand and put it on the blood-soaked shirt.</p><p>“Put pressure here, and don’t let up until the doctor gets here, do you understand?”</p><p>He took over from her, not taking his eyes off of Raquel’s face, and Elena felt a rush of hope that she might get out after all. She quickly got up, but as she turned around, she was looking right into the barrel of Nairobi’s gun.</p><p>“I don’t think so”, Nairobi said angrily. “You’re not going anywhere.”</p><p>…</p><p>Blood was pounding in Sergio’s ears and he was living his worst nightmare. <em>Don’t die</em>, was the only thought in his head. <em>Don’t leave me. I’ll do anything, just don’t die</em>. Her face so pale, except for the red smudges on her cheek, her eyes closed, her body limp, his hands red with her blood. <em>God</em>, so much blood, <em>so much</em>, how was she still alive? <em>Don’t die, </em>he thought frantically, barely noticing the tears streaming down his cheeks. <em>Please, my love. Please. </em>He was only vaguely aware of Nairobi stopping Elena from leaving – honestly, he didn’t care, he didn’t care about <em>anything </em>right now except for keeping her alive. He couldn’t wrap his head around how this had happened – they’d been talking about their future mere minutes ago, and now he felt like the world was crashing down around him. <em>Don’t die</em>, he kept repeating over and over in his mind. <em>Don’t die, Raquel. I’ll give up everything, anything, anything at all if you just stay with me. Stay with me my love, my love. Who would I be without you?</em></p><p>Rationally, he knew it only took the doctor a few minutes to get to the hangar, but he felt like he’d aged a lifetime by the time he heard the knock on the door and Nairobi ran to open it. The doctor rushed in, took one look at the blood pooling around Raquel and ordered Nairobi to help him prepare a space to operate. Then, the three of them carefully lifted Raquel off the ground and onto the operating table.</p><p>“She’s lost too much blood”, the doctor said. “If I operate on her now, she won’t make it. Do you have bags of blood with her blood type?”</p><p>“No”, Sergio whispered, wondering why, <em>why </em>they weren’t prepared for this. He realized with a stab of panic that he didn’t even know her blood type – <em>how </em>had he never asked her that?</p><p>“Then she has to go to the hospital”, the doctor said urgently. “She <em>needs </em>blood.”</p><p>Something suddenly hit Sergio.</p><p>“Take mine”, he said.</p><p>“Excuse me?”</p><p>“Take my blood”, he repeated. “I’m O negative, the universal donor. No matter what blood type she has, she can have my blood.”</p><p>“Salva”, the doctor said, “she’s going to need a <em>lot </em>of it.”</p><p>“I don’t care”, he said, rolling up his sleeve. “Take however much she needs.”</p><p>The doctor nodded and started taking out the necessary materials and disinfectant. Sergio kept his eyes on Raquel’s face as the needle entered his vein and the blood started flowing to her. <em>Hold on</em>, he thought. <em>Hold on, my love.</em></p><p>“I’ll take as little as I safely can”, the doctor said.</p><p>“You’ll do no such thing”, Sergio snapped. “You keep going until she’s safe.”</p><p>“You might faint”, the doctor warned him.</p><p>“I don’t care if I <em>die</em>”, he said angrily. “You don’t stop under any circumstances.”</p><p>“Alright”, the doctor said, shaking his head. “I don’t have time to argue.”</p><p>As the doctor prepared to start operating, Sergio kept his eyes on Raquel’s pale face, <em>willing </em>her to live, wishing his blood would flow faster, wishing he could do <em>more </em>to keep her alive. The doctor removed the blood-soaked shirt and examined the wound.</p><p>“How bad is it?” Sergio asked in a whisper.</p><p>“The bullet entered just below the collarbone, with an upward trajectory”, the doctor murmured, bent over Raquel. “Passed straight through the muscle of her shoulder and out the back. The lung wasn’t punctured, no broken bones.”</p><p>Sergio breathed a sigh of relief. That was something, at least.</p><p>“Looks like it just nicked the subclavian artery in passing, it’s not completely severed”, the doctor continued. “I should be able to operate successfully.”</p><p>Raquel was given a general anesthetic and Nairobi acted as the doctor’s assistant, handing him his instruments and wiping away the blood that was still streaming from the wound. After a while, Sergio started feeling dizzy, but he didn’t say anything. It didn’t matter – the only thing that mattered was that she stayed alive – she <em>had </em>to stay alive. He felt like he was balancing on the edge of an abyss, yawning vast and black and bottomless beneath him, ready to swallow him whole if she… if she… <em>Please don’t die, Raquel, don’t leave me. Without you, I am lost. Without you, I am nothing. </em></p><p>A little while later, black spots started appearing in his vision, and he started swaying slightly.</p><p>“He’s going to faint”, Nairobi said sharply.</p><p>“I’ll remove the needle”, the doctor said, but Sergio pushed his hand away.</p><p>“Has she had enough?”</p><p>The doctor hesitated, and Sergio shook his head.</p><p>“Then you’re not removing anything.”</p><p>The doctor turned to Nairobi. “What’s your blood type?”</p><p>“O positive”, she said.</p><p>“That’s not an option if we don’t know her blood type. What about your… uhm… guest?”</p><p>Nairobi hurried over to Elena to ask her, but she came back shaking her head.</p><p>“Also O positive.”</p><p>Sergio put a steadying hand on the table. “I can keep going for a bit longer.”</p><p>“At least sit down”, Nairobi said.</p><p>“He can’t”, the doctor said. “He has to be at a higher level than she is or the blood won’t flow.”</p><p>“Then I’ll stand”, he said firmly. “Keep going.”</p><p>“Salva…”</p><p>“Keep going, Mikael”, he said sharply. “I’m not your patient.”</p><p>The doctor nodded and turned back to Raquel, and Sergio took deep breaths, fighting to stay conscious minute after minute. <em>Hold on, my love. Hold on. </em>The world narrowed down to just her face, and it was the last thing he saw before he felt his knees give way and everything went black.</p><p>…</p><p>He woke up with a pillow under his head and someone tapping him sharply on the cheek.</p><p>“Wake up”, he heard a voice.</p><p>God, he felt weak. Even just opening his eyes was an effort. He managed it anyway, to see Nairobi’s face above him, frowning.</p><p>“Well that was stupid of you.”</p><p>“Raquel”, he whispered. “Is she…?”</p><p>“She’s fine”, Nairobi said, and he felt such a heady rush of relief that it almost made him pass out again.</p><p>“Hey!” Nairobi said, tapping his cheek again. “Stay with us, Profe.”</p><p>“Is she… is she really fine?” he managed.</p><p>“Yes, I swear. The doctor said she’s out of danger. <em>You </em>on the other hand, are an idiot. Why didn’t you say stop?”</p><p>“I don’t matter”, he murmured.</p><p>“You kind of <em>do, </em>though. How do you think she’d have felt if she woke up only to find you dead ‘cause you pumped all of your blood into <em>her</em> and we didn’t have any to pump back into <em>you</em>?”</p><p>He shifted and felt a pulling sensation in his elbow. He glanced down to see an IV stuck into his arm.</p><p>“We had to get fluids back into you”, Nairobi explained. “You should feel better in a bit.”</p><p>He nodded. “Help me up, Nairobi.”</p><p>“Yeah, that’s not happening.”</p><p>“I need to see her.”</p><p>“Profe, you’re going to faint again straight away.”</p><p>“I’m fine”, he said, trying to sit up, but she effortlessly pushed him back down.</p><p>“Nairobi!”</p><p>“Shut up and stay down.”</p><p>He tried again, but the result was the same, except now she raised a threatening finger.</p><p>“If you don’t stay down, I’m going to sit on you! We have to wait until this IV bag is empty.”</p><p>He kept his eyes on the bag as it dripped into his veins ever so slowly. He <em>had </em>to see her, he had to touch her and make sure, make <em>absolutely sure </em>that she was still alive. The wait was agony. Finally, <em>finally, </em>the last drop disappeared down the tube and he immediately pulled the needle out of his arm, wincing slightly. Nairobi took him by the elbow and helped him sit up. His vision went black around the edges, and he had to put his head between his knees for a moment to keep from fainting again.</p><p>“Yes”, Nairobi said drily. “I see how fine you are. About to dance the samba, aren’t you? Wait here.”</p><p>She got him a glass of water, and after he drank it, he felt slightly better and his vision cleared.</p><p>“Alright”, he nodded, and she pulled him up.</p><p>He swayed a little and leaned heavily on her as she helped him across the room to the bed, where a motionless figure was lying between the sheets. He fell to his knees beside her and touched her cheek, her skin reassuringly warm beneath his fingers.</p><p>“I’ll go get you a chair”, Nairobi said, but he barely heard her. He was dizzy and nauseous and weak, but he didn’t feel any of it as he kept drinking in the sight of her, watching her chest move up and down slightly as she breathed. <em>She’s alive, </em>he kept repeating to himself. <em>She’s alive, she’s alive.</em> He didn’t notice the tears streaming down his face. <em>She’s alive.</em></p><p>…</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <strong>Day 8</strong>
</p><p>“Profe, you need to sleep.”</p><p>“No.”</p><p>“Then eat something, at least.”</p><p>“No thank you.”</p><p>“You lost a lot of blood too, you have to eat.”</p><p>“Go away Nairobi.”</p><p>“This won’t help her, you know.”</p><p>Sergio didn’t reply to that. He didn’t care. He couldn’t eat, he couldn’t sleep, not while she was lying in bed, unconscious, unresponsive, two IVs dripping fluids and morphine and antibiotics into her veins. The doctor had said she was out of danger, but he couldn’t quite believe it, and he didn’t take his eyes off of her for even a second. He held her hand in his and kept two fingers on her wrist at all times to feel her heartbeat. The rhythm of her pulse was the single most important thing in the world.</p><p>Nairobi went away, and he had a vague sense of time passing and people moving in and out of the tunnel. He supposed they were keeping the operation running, but he couldn’t bloody care. It could all go to hell as far as he was concerned. He heard them talking amongst themselves, arranging things, all of it just a blur of sound in the background, until suddenly something jumped out at him.</p><p>“How did this happen?” he heard Tokyo ask. “How did the cop even get here?”</p><p>“I think the Professor was meeting with her”, Nairobi answered. “And she followed him here.”</p><p>Nairobi’s words struck him like a knife. Yes – yes, it was true, Elena was here only because he’d brought her here. None of this would have happened if he hadn’t led her to the hangar in the first place – if he hadn’t met with her – if he’d listened to Raquel. She’d warned him, over and over and over again, and he’d refused to listen, and now she was lying here. It was all his fault, and his alone. He was the one to blame. Raquel’s words echoed in his head: <em>She’s a challenge and you simply can’t resist that</em>. It was true. He didn’t <em>have </em>to contact Elena, but he hadn’t seen the risk, blinded by his belief in his own cleverness. And then when she’d gotten to the hangar, he still hadn’t taken her seriously, he still hadn’t seen her as a threat. He heard Raquel again: <em>Don’t trust her too much, Sergio. She’s dangerous. </em>He hadn’t believed it, not <em>really</em>. He thought he had things under control. He’d treated her as a guest.</p><p>He’d let his guard down around her, even though he <em>knew </em>Raquel was worried. He’d been the one to insist they didn’t blindfold her. He’d been the last one to tie her hands – he must have tied her too loosely, careless because he trusted her, enabling her to get free. And then he’d left Raquel alone with her, not thinking for a moment that it might be dangerous. He realized now that he should have sent Elena away right from the start, to the backup location maybe, have her guarded by the Serbians. But on some level – he felt his stomach churn as he realized it – he’d <em>liked </em>having her here, he’d <em>liked </em>talking to her, and now… now… He looked down at Raquel’s pale face on the pillow, and his heart was breaking. The doctor had said there might be nerve damage – she might never be able to use her left arm again, and if not for his stupidity, for his arrogance, she would be fine, she would be <em>fine</em>. So he sat on a chair beside her and he didn’t sleep, he didn’t eat, because the only thing that mattered was that he would be there when she woke up.</p><p>As sunlight started streaming through the windows, she finally stirred, and his heart started racing as he scooted closer to the bed.</p><p>“Sergio?” she said in a hoarse whisper, and he had to fight back tears.</p><p>“Yes”, he said, his voice breaking as he gently squeezed her hand. “Yes, my love, I’m here, I’m right here.”</p><p>She opened dazed eyes and looked around.</p><p>“What happened?”</p><p>“You got hurt”, he said softly. “You got hurt, but you’ll be alright now.”</p><p>“I got hurt?”</p><p>“Yes”, he said.</p><p>“I don’t feel… anything…”</p><p>“That’s the pain killers.”</p><p>Her eyes suddenly opened wider and she tried to sit up. “Elena! She… she got away!”</p><p>“No”, he soothed her, gently pushing her back down. “No, we got her, it’s okay.”</p><p>She went soft with relief, her eyes already half closing again as the after-effects of the anesthetic dragged her back under.</p><p>“Good”, she said.</p><p>“Everything’s under control”, he murmured. “Sleep, my love, you need it.”</p><p>“Yes”, she sighed, her thumb stroking his hand. “Will you stay with me?”</p><p>“Of course I will”, he said with determination. “I won’t leave your side.”</p><p>“Thank you”, she whispered, her eyes closing. “I love you so much.”</p><p>Silent tears ran down his cheeks as he watched her go back to sleep. He vaguely realized the blood loss was making him more emotional than usual, but the realization didn’t make him feel any less awful. He didn’t deserve her love. His arrogance, his stubbornness had brought them here, had caused a bullet to go right through her, tearing flesh and veins and sinew on the way, maybe damaging her arm permanently. She had warned him, and he hadn’t listened, and how could he ever make that up to her? The guilt of it pierced him like a shard of glass, its razor-sharp edges cutting into his chest. <em>He </em>should have been the one to be hit by that bullet, and he would gladly have taken it for her, if only it were possible. There was a sick feeling in his stomach as he realized that, at some point, she would wake up again and realize that all of this was his fault. He buried his head in his hands. How could she ever forgive him?</p><p>…</p><p>When she next woke up, a few hours later, she seemed a little more clear-headed. She opened her eyes and gave him a weak smile, and he leaned forward eagerly.</p><p>“How are you feeling?”</p><p>“Tired”, she said. “And a little dizzy.”</p><p>“That’s the morphine. Do you feel any pain?”</p><p>“Not that much. How much morphine am I on?”</p><p>He hesitated. “A bit.”</p><p>She looked down and lightly touched her bandaged shoulder.</p><p>“How bad is it?”</p><p>“Not that bad, all things considered. The bullet went straight through your shoulder, but it didn’t hit your lung or any bones. Can you… can you move your fingers?”</p><p>She looked down at her left hand and focused, then, very slowly, bent and unbent her fingers, and he felt dizzy with relief.</p><p>“Good”, he said. “That means there’s no serious nerve damage.”</p><p>“Alright”, she whispered. “I’m glad.”</p><p>He got her a glass of water, then carefully helped her to sit up. She leaned heavily against the pillows, her eyes seeming even darker than usual in her pale face, and he felt such a stab of tenderness in his chest. She looked so small, so fragile. He just wanted to wrap her in his arms and protect her from harm, the way he <em>should </em>have protected her, the way he <em>would </em>protect her from now on. She was too weak to even hold the glass to her lips, so he helped her drink, then eyed her bandages critically.</p><p>“I think it’s time to change them.”</p><p>She nodded silently, regarding him with soft eyes as he carefully removed the bandages from her shoulder. When the last layer fell away, he inhaled sharply. The incision from the operation was neatly stitched, but around it, her entire shoulder and part of her chest were covered in vivid blue and purple bruises. On top of that, the skin around the place where the bullet had entered was burned a bright, angry red, because she’d been shot at such close range. She looked down and grimaced.</p><p>“That looks awful. I’m glad I can’t feel most of it.”</p><p>He got out the necessary materials, then started cleaning the area around the wound with infinite care, trying to keep his hands from trembling as he touched her. A terrible weight was settling on his shoulders, pushing him down, down, down, pressing on his lungs until he could barely breathe. He had done this to her. Her beautiful body, which he loved so much, which he knew better than he knew his own, was cut and bruised and burnt as a direct consequence of his actions, and he didn’t know how to live with that. If regret could heal, her skin would instantly be smooth again, her bruises gone, her body strong again, but he knew his regret was useless to her. Still, he felt so guilty that it was suffocating him.</p><p>She was regarding him attentively, her head leaning against the pillows. After a while, she said softly:</p><p>“What’s the matter?”</p><p>He swallowed hard.</p><p>“Raquel”, he whispered. “I’m so sorry. I’m so, <em>so </em>sorry.”</p><p>“It’s okay”, she said quietly.</p><p>“How can you say that?” he said, trying not to cry. “Look what I’ve done to you.”</p><p>“You didn’t do anything to me.”</p><p>“Not… not <em>directly</em>, but this is still my fault.”</p><p>“Sergio”, she said, “it was an accident.”</p><p>“That wouldn’t have happened if Elena hadn’t been here, because of <em>me</em>. Because I didn’t listen to you!”</p><p>She shook her head. “I forgave you for that.”</p><p>“You shouldn’t have! Look what happened!”</p><p>She thought about it for a moment, then said: “Sergio, when I forgave you for bringing her here, that meant I also accepted any possible consequences.”</p><p>“But not this…”</p><p>“<em>Including </em>this. I don’t blame you, Sergio.”</p><p>“The morphine is affecting your thoughts”, he said, his throat tight. Why wasn’t she yelling at him? Why wasn’t she angry?</p><p>At that point, Nairobi approached them.</p><p>“Is she…” She saw Raquel and rushed to the bed, smiling broadly. “You’re awake!”</p><p>“Hi Nairobi”, Raquel smiled back.</p><p>“How are you?”</p><p>“I’m okay. Are you managing things?”</p><p>“Yes, me and Berlin have everything under control. Don’t worry about the operation.”</p><p>Nairobi glanced sideways at Sergio.</p><p>“Lisbon, can you talk some sense into this idiot, please?”</p><p>“Nairobi”, Sergio said warningly, but she continued:</p><p>“He gave you a lot of blood and he hasn’t eaten or slept since.”</p><p>Raquel’s eyes were so soft when she looked at him, and she gently touched his hand.</p><p>“My love… why?”</p><p>“I wanted to be here when you woke up.”</p><p>“You could still eat, though”, Nairobi said, and he turned to frown at her.</p><p>“Could you leave us, please?”</p><p>“Fine”, she said with dignity. “But you drowning in self-pity won’t un-shoot her.”</p><p>Nairobi left, and Sergio turned back to see Raquel look at him with a soft smile.</p><p>“You gave me your blood?”</p><p>“I did”, he mumbled. “It’s not a big deal.”</p><p>She looked at him dreamily. “That means you’re a part of me now. Forever.”</p><p>“Actually”, he said. “All of your blood cells die and are replaced within…”</p><p>She chuckled softly. “Stop talking. You’re a part of me now.”</p><p>“Alright”, he said, smiling down at her. “I’m a part of you.”</p><p>She turned serious again. “Why haven’t you eaten?”</p><p>His smile faded. “I couldn’t.”</p><p>“You shouldn’t punish yourself.”</p><p>He looked down at his hands. “I deserve it.”</p><p>She didn’t say anything, and when he looked back up at her, he saw tears on her cheeks.</p><p>“What’s wrong?” he said, panicking. “Are you in pain?”</p><p>“No”, she said, wiping away her tears with her good hand. “I’m sorry. I’m afraid emotional instability is a side effect of getting shot.”</p><p>“Of course”, he said, calming down a little. “Can I… can I do anything?”</p><p>“Yes”, she sniffed. “Eat something.”</p><p>He stared at her. “Are you crying <em>for me</em>?”</p><p>“You have to take care of yourself!”</p><p>“But I…”</p><p>More tears were rolling down her cheeks, and he quickly amended: “Alright, alright, I’ll eat!”</p><p>“And sleep?”</p><p>“And… and sleep, yes, I’ll do anything, just… just don’t cry. <em>Please.</em>”</p><p>She gave him a watery smile. “Thank you.”</p><p>He looked at her, at a loss for words. How, <em>how </em>was she worried about <em>him </em>right now? He couldn’t wrap his head around it.</p><p>“Raquel”, he finally managed, a tremor in his voice. “You’re way too good for me.”</p><p>She softly tugged on his sleeve. “Come here.”</p><p>He carefully sat down next to her on the edge of the bed and she stroked his hand.</p><p>“You saved my life, didn’t you?”</p><p>“I wouldn’t have <em>had </em>to save your life if I hadn’t…” he started, but she shook her head.</p><p>“Stop talking”, she said again. “You saved my life. That’s enough to make up for any mistakes you made.”</p><p>He looked at her. She was the most amazing woman in the world, and the thought that he’d almost lost her took his breath away. She squeezed his hand.</p><p>“I want a kiss”, she murmured, the dreamy look back in her eyes. He <em>knew </em>it was the morphine, but he couldn’t help but love the expression on her face as she looked at him, even though he knew fully well that he didn’t deserve it. He reached out his hand and cupped her cheek, then leaned forward to brush his lips against hers with infinite tenderness. She leaned her forehead against his and whispered:</p><p>“I love you.”</p><p>He was fighting back tears again. “Why?”</p><p>She smiled. “You’re a part of me.”</p><p>She kissed him again, then said: “But I’m very tired.”</p><p>“You should sleep”, he said quickly, getting up and helping her to lie down again.</p><p>“Promise me you’ll eat and sleep”, she murmured, her eyes closing.</p><p>“I promise”, he said firmly.</p><p>Once she was asleep, he sat down to look at her. Her words had soothed the crushing feeling of guilt in his chest a little, just enough to lift the nausea he’d been feeling. He finally ate the sandwich Nairobi had given him hours ago, looking thoughtfully at Raquel’s sleeping face as he did so. He wished he could do something to make this up to her somehow. He knew he could never undo what had happened, but wasn’t there anything he could do for her? Suddenly, an idea struck him. Yes – <em>yes</em> – he wasn’t sure if it would work, but he could at least try. He got up and walked towards the desk.</p><p>Nairobi seemed to have taken over things on this side of the operation. Thankfully, Angel and his team were still in Toledo, so there hadn’t been any calls from the command center yet. Nairobi was manning the screens and keeping an eye on Elena, who was sitting next to her, her usual ropes replaced by iron chains and a padlock. Upon seeing Elena, Sergio felt such a visceral reaction of mixed emotions – anger, shame, guilt – that he had to stop and take a breath. Elena looked up and saw him.</p><p>“How is she?” she asked immediately.</p><p>“She’ll be okay”, he said carefully, coming closer. She saw him eyeing her chains and grimaced.</p><p>“Nairobi thought this was safer than rope.”</p><p>“I’m not taking any more risks”, Nairobi said drily, her eyes on the screens.</p><p>“How did you get free?” Sergio asked.</p><p>Elena nodded over at the fence, where a small pile of ropes was still lying. “There was a sharp piece of wire so I cut through my ties.”</p><p>Sergio felt a rush of relief. That meant it hadn’t been his own fault.</p><p>“And what… what happened exactly? When you got free?”</p><p>“I waited until you were all gone”, she said. “Then I managed to get hold of Raquel’s gun. There was a struggle, and it went off.”</p><p>“You didn’t shoot her?”</p><p>“No”, Elena said emphatically. “No, I would never. I never meant to hurt her. It was an accident.”</p><p>He felt his anger at her lessen slightly. Then Nairobi said:</p><p>“You shouldn’t stand here talking, Profe, you should <em>sleep.</em>”</p><p>“I will”, he said. “In a minute. I just need to do something first.”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“Call the Mint”, he asked her. “Ask Rio to come over. I want to talk to him.”</p><p>…</p><p>
  <strong>Day 9</strong>
</p><p>She woke up in the early morning, feeling weak and slightly dizzy, but more alert than yesterday. She turned her head on her pillow and smiled as she saw Sergio, asleep on the floor next to her. Thank god he was keeping his promise, she didn’t have the strength to fight him right now. The morphine made her drift in and out of sleep throughout the morning, and usually he was by her side, helping her sit up to drink and eat small quantities of food, and very carefully gathering her up in his arms to carry her to the bathroom. Between naps, she noticed that he was often at the desk, sometimes on the phone with Angel, who had returned from Toledo, and often talking to Rio, who seemed to have taken over the screens. When she asked him about it, he told her Rio was working on something, but it was nothing she should worry about.</p><p>Around noon, she’d had enough of feeling dizzy and tired all the time, so she asked him to reduce the dose of morphine she was getting.</p><p>He hesitated. “Are you sure? It will hurt.”</p><p>“Just for a few hours”, she said. “I want to be able to think straight again.”</p><p>He fiddled with her IV.</p><p>“It will take a few hours before the effects wear off, though. You should try to get some more sleep until then.”</p><p>When she woke up again two hours later, there was a throbbing ache in her shoulder, and she groaned as she opened her eyes. He was immediately at her side.</p><p>“Are you okay? Should I turn up the morphine again?”</p><p>“No”, she said, gritting her teeth as he helped her sit up against the pillows. “I finally feel like my head isn’t full of cotton wool anymore. I can deal with the pain for a few hours if I get some clarity in return.”</p><p>“Alright”, he said apprehensively. “But not too long.”</p><p>She took a deep breath. “Tell me again what the bullet did, I only half remember what you told me yesterday.”</p><p>He told her, and she frowned.</p><p>“If the bullet hit my artery, then how did I survive? Did you get back right after I got hit?”</p><p>“No”, he admitted, explaining how Elena had turned back to stop her from bleeding out.</p><p>She was silent for a while, considering this, then said:</p><p>“I want to talk to her.”</p><p>“What?” he said, alarmed. “No, no way!”</p><p>“I want to talk to her, Sergio.”</p><p>“She’s not coming anywhere near you ever again!”</p><p>“Sergio”, she said sternly. “She saved my life. I want to talk to her.”</p><p>“If she hadn’t caused you to get shot in the first place, she wouldn’t have had to save your life!”</p><p>“But she didn’t actually shoot me, <em>I </em>was the one to grab at that gun.”</p><p>“Still. You need to rest.”</p><p>“Then don’t make me argue”, she reasoned. “And just go get her.”</p><p>He grumbled a bit more, then got up and returned a minute later with Elena, whose hands were chained behind her back.</p><p>Elena gave her a tentative look. “How are you, Raquel?”</p><p>In a flash, Raquel was back there, Elena’s voice ringing in her ears. <em>Raquel, don’t!</em> Her body shuddered as the bullet hit her all over again, blazing its way through her shoulder, making her stagger, fall to her knees. <em>The burning… the blood… the darkness…</em></p><p>“Raquel!”</p><p>
  <em>The blood… the blood…</em>
</p><p>“Raquel!”</p><p>She felt like she was surfacing from water as she took a deep breath and snapped back to the present, looking into Sergio’s worried eyes as he was holding her face.</p><p>“Raquel, what’s wrong?”</p><p>“I… I felt…”</p><p>“It’s trauma”, Elena said from where she was standing in the middle of the room. “PTSD. I’ve seen it before in shooting victims.”</p><p>Elena’s voice… <em>Raquel, don’t! </em>The bullet ripping through her, <em>the burning, the blood…</em></p><p>“Why <em>now?” </em>Sergio asked.</p><p>“I’m triggering the memory”, Elena said. “I should go.”</p><p>Raquel firmly shook her head in an attempt to push away the crowding memories.</p><p>“No, let her stay.”</p><p>“She’s causing you distress, Raquel, I’m going to take her back to…”</p><p>She took his wrist as he was getting off the bed.</p><p>“Sergio. Let her stay.”</p><p>He sat back down, taking her hand and leaning in close to her.</p><p>“My love, you’re not strong yet, don’t put yourself through this.”</p><p>“I want to talk to her.”</p><p>“Why?”</p><p>She cast around for the words. “Because… because I feel like… if I don’t deal with this now, I might be stuck with it later. What’s the next thing that will trigger the memory? Loud noises? The sight of a gun? It… it has to lose its power, somehow. Let me talk to her.”</p><p>He hesitated. “Will you tell me the second it gets too much?”</p><p>“I will.”</p><p>“Alright then…”</p><p>He moved to the foot of the bed, keeping his hand on her knee, and motioned for Elena to come sit on the chair next to the bed. She sat down carefully.</p><p>“How are you feeling, Raquel?”</p><p><em>Raquel, don’t! </em>A deafening bang echoed in her ears, her nostrils filled with the smell of gunpowder, <em>the pain, the blood…</em></p><p>“This isn’t good for her!” Sergio said urgently.</p><p>“Wait!” Elena said. “Wait…”</p><p>
  <em>Her shoulder burning, burning, burning… </em>
</p><p>“Raquel”, Elena said calmly. “You’re experiencing a flashback. It’s only a memory. It’s in the past, and you survived it.”</p><p><em>Blood pouring down her chest. </em>Her chest felt tight, painfully tight.</p><p>“Breathe”, Elena said. “You’re not breathing. Deep breath in. Deep breath out.”</p><p>She gasped in a breath and the tight feeling lessened immediately.</p><p>“That’s it. Now let’s get you back here. Look down, what’s the color of your blanket? Do you feel the bed beneath you? Do you hear Nairobi talking to Rio? Do you smell… well, the damp of this place?”</p><p>The burning sensation in her shoulder receded as she focused on her senses, anchoring herself in the present again.</p><p>“Go sit next to her”, she heard Elena say to Sergio. “Make her feel protected.”</p><p>The next moment, he was beside her, and she leaned against him with her good side and put her head on his shoulder. He couldn’t wrap his arm around her shoulders, so he carefully wrapped it around her waist.</p><p>“I’m here”, he murmured gently. “You’re safe. You’re safe.”</p><p>She closed her eyes and relaxed against him.</p><p>“Better?” Elena asked.</p><p>“Yes”, she sighed. “Much better.”</p><p>“That was very brave of you”, Sergio said softly, turning his head and kissing her hair.</p><p>“Yes”, Elena agreed. “Now, can you look at me?”</p><p>Raquel opened her eyes and looked at Elena, noticing that she was wearing some of her own clothes. She realized Elena’s clothes probably got covered in blood...</p><p>
  <em>The blood… the blood…</em>
</p><p>“Keep breathing, my love”, Sergio reminded her in a whisper, and she pulled herself back from the memory with an effort.</p><p>“I’m sorry about what happened”, Elena said softly. “I never meant for you to get hurt.”</p><p>
  <em>Raquel, once I get out of here… run, okay?</em>
</p><p>“You told me to run”, Raquel said quietly.</p><p>Elena looked a little embarrassed. “Yes, I did.”</p><p>Raquel gave her a weak smile. “I thought you were going to arrest me?”</p><p>“Well”, Elena said, squaring her shoulders. “I am. Maybe just… not right now.”</p><p>Raquel chuckled softly, then tried to pull herself together. Sergio’s arm tightened around her waist, and she drew strength from that. She took a deep breath and said:</p><p>“Who’s taking care of you, Elena?”</p><p>“Nairobi.”</p><p>“Have you eaten? Have you slept?”</p><p>“Yes, I have”, Elena said. “Raquel, you shouldn’t worry about me. In fact, you should be angry at me. Why aren’t you angry?”</p><p>
  <em>Stay with me! Stay with me, okay?</em>
</p><p>“You saved my life”, Raquel said quietly. “You could have run, but you didn’t.”</p><p>“You thought I’d just let you <em>die?</em>”</p><p><em>The darkness, pulling her under… </em>But she looked up into Elena’s eyes, so calm, so earnest. <em>I never meant for you to get hurt. </em>The darkness receded.</p><p>“You could have”, Raquel said. “We’re on opposite sides, after all. Saving me cost you your freedom, and an arrest like that would have made your career.”</p><p>“My career will be fine”, Elena said drily. “It isn’t worth your life.”</p><p>Elena hadn’t actually hurt her. It had been an accident. Accidents happened.</p><p>Raquel turned her face to breathe in Sergio’s smell. Then she turned back to Elena and lifted one corner of her mouth. “I’m sorry I thwarted your escape.”</p><p>Elena heaved a dramatic sigh. “It’s fine. I suppose I’ll just have to resign myself to the fact that you’ll get away with this.” She hesitated, then said: “I’m… I’m just glad you’re okay.”</p><p>Raquel regarded her for a moment, then said: “You’re a good person, Elena.”</p><p>Elena shook her head. “Anyone would have done the same.”</p><p>“No”, Raquel said. “You know that’s not true.”</p><p>Elena looked away, embarrassed. Beside her, Sergio bent his head closer to hers.</p><p>“How are the flashbacks?”</p><p>“Gone”, she said, sighing with relief.</p><p>“Good”, Elena said. “Do you want to try the next step?”</p><p>“Yes”, Raquel said.</p><p>“Can you tell me what happened?” Elena said.</p><p>“You don’t have to”, Sergio said immediately, but Elena frowned at him.</p><p>“Let her try.”</p><p>“Yes”, Raquel said firmly. “You took my gun and I grabbed at it. My… my fingers hit the trigger. It… went off and… I got hit.”</p><p>It felt good to say the words, and she felt herself detach from the memory as she was speaking about it.</p><p>“Good”, Elena said. “And then?”</p><p>“You ran”, Raquel said. “But then you came back and you saved my life. And now here we are.”</p><p>“Yes”, Elena said. “Here we are.”</p><p>The two women looked at each other, and for a moment, Raquel saw Elena with the gun overlap with Elena sitting in front of her, but then the image faded. It was just a memory. It couldn’t hurt her anymore.</p><p>“How are you feeling?” Sergio murmured beside her.</p><p>She took a deep breath and lifted her head. “I’m okay.”</p><p>“Yes”, Elena nodded with a slight smile. “You’re going to be fine.”</p><p>…</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Day 10</strong>
</p><p>By the next day, Raquel was well enough for the IV to be removed from her arm so she could start taking a lower dose of morphine orally. Her shoulder hurt, of course, but the pain was manageable, and she spent the morning upright in bed. Sergio was constantly at her side, asking her if she needed anything, bringing her food and water and medication as needed. She could see that he still felt guilty, but she thought it would fade over time, so she let it be. After breakfast, she decided she was strong enough to walk to the bathroom by herself, so Sergio supported her as she got out of bed, swaying just a little, and he carefully held her arm, ready to catch her if she should fall as she crossed the hangar on weak legs. Around mid-morning, he told her he had to leave for a few hours, but he wouldn’t tell her where he was going. When she got upset, he quickly sat down and took her hand.</p><p>“I just don’t know how it will turn out. I’ll tell you later, when I’m more sure of the outcome. I promise it’s nothing dangerous, though, I <em>promise.</em> You don’t have to worry.”</p><p>She wiped a tear from her cheek. “Okay.”</p><p>“Are you going to be alright?”</p><p>“Yes”, she said firmly, wiping away another tear. “I just wish every little thing didn’t make me cry.”</p><p>“That’s normal”, he said gently. “You’ve been through a terrible ordeal, it’s going to take you a while to recover in every way.”</p><p>“Yes”, she nodded. “You’re right.”</p><p>While he was gone, Elena held her company, and they had a good time talking about the cases they’d worked on. When Sergio returned a few hours later, they were enthusiastically comparing war stories, and they continued talking as he joined them around the bed. Raquel noticed that Sergio looked rather subdued, so after a while, she asked him to take Elena back to the other side of the hangar. It took him a while to return, and she could hear him talking softly to Elena, but she couldn’t understand what they were saying. It made her a little uneasy, but she decided not to ask him about it as he returned.</p><p>“So where have you been?” she asked him as he sat back down next to the bed.</p><p>“I’m not sure you should know yet.”</p><p>“Just tell me”, she prompted him. “If something’s going wrong with the operation, I want to know.”</p><p>“No, it has nothing to do with the operation.”</p><p>She smiled. “Is it a surprise?”</p><p>He hesitated. “Of sorts.”</p><p>She was really curious now. “Come on, tell me.”</p><p>“I’m just not sure yet how it will turn out.”</p><p>“You know”, she teased him. “You shouldn’t dangle a secret in front of me like that. I’m very hurt, I’m sure this kind of excitement isn’t good for me.”</p><p>He didn’t smile. “You’re right. I’ll tell you if you want to know.”</p><p>Her smile faded. “I was just teasing you. What’s wrong?”</p><p>He gave her a look she couldn’t interpret.</p><p>“Do you miss it?”</p><p>“Do I miss what?”</p><p>“Your job. You… you seemed really happy when you were talking to Elena about it.”</p><p>“Well”, she said slowly, “it was stressful and difficult and it took me away from Paula too often for my liking, but… yes, I do miss it.”</p><p>He nodded. “I thought so.”</p><p>“Why are you asking?”</p><p>He hesitated, then just shook his head, and she let it go.</p><p>…</p><p>That evening, as they sat talking, he seemed nervous and preoccupied. He kept checking his phone, until finally he nodded.</p><p>“I think we should watch the news”, he said.</p><p>“The news?” she said, mystified. “Why?”</p><p>“You’ll see”, he said, and turned his phone so they could watch it.</p><p>On the screen, a news anchor was visible, looking into the camera.</p><p>“New evidence has come to light in the high-profile case of ex-Inspector Raquel Murillo of the Madrid police, who was convicted six months ago of corruption and kidnapped on her way to prison.”</p><p>Raquel’s eyebrows went up. What the hell?</p><p>The anchor continued: “In a bizarre turn of events, Alberto Vicuña, Murillo’s ex-husband, was arrested today for stealing evidence and planting it in the house of his ex-wife.”</p><p>On the screen, images were shown of Alberto, in handcuffs, being led to a police car.</p><p>“If convicted, Vicuña faces up to ten years in prison.”</p><p>Raquel could only stare at the screen in disbelief. This couldn’t be true. She must be dreaming. She looked up at Sergio to see him give her a slight smile.</p><p>“You… did you do this?” she whispered.</p><p>“Yes”, he said.</p><p>“But… but <em>how</em>?”</p><p>“You told me the cameras in the evidence room were hacked by an outside source that couldn’t be traced. I got Rio to investigate, and it turned out that <em>actually</em>, the cameras were hacked into from within the police IT department. We followed the trace to a guy named Mario, and this morning I paid Mario a visit, together with some of my associates. Turns out your ex-husband gave him a big bribe, but he still had the original footage of Alberto taking those drugs from the evidence room, and he was willing to hand it over… for a price, of course.”</p><p>Raquel was listening to him with wide eyes.</p><p>“I turned the evidence in to the police. I’m glad to see they acted on it so quickly.”</p><p>“I can’t believe you did that”, she said quietly.</p><p>A hard look appeared in his eyes. “He hurt you, Raquel. I wasn’t about to let him get away with that if I could help it.”</p><p>She blinked away the tears which were still right at the surface, ready to overflow at the least provocation. Alberto… arrested. Going to trial. Probably going to prison. Justice. She still couldn’t believe it. Justice, and it was all thanks to Sergio. She looked up to thank him, only to see him looking at her with a very strange expression.</p><p>“What?” she said.</p><p>He hesitated, then seemed to steel himself and said softly:</p><p>“You know what this means, Raquel?”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“It means… it means you’ll be cleared of all charges. Your conviction will be repealed, your prison sentence will disappear. You’ll be a free woman again.”</p><p>She laughed. “Except I’ve committed about a million <em>actual </em>crimes in the meantime.”</p><p>He remained entirely serious. “Nobody knows that, though, except for Elena. I talked to her, and she’s agreed not to reveal your part in this operation. She’ll testify that you were held here as a prisoner.”</p><p>Raquel felt herself go cold.</p><p>“Sergio… what are you saying?”</p><p>He took a deep breath. “I’m offering you a way out. You don’t have to live this life anymore, always hiding, always running the risk of getting caught. You… you can return to your old life, to your house, your family, your friends. Your job. You would have a normal life again. You would be safe.”</p><p>Her lips were trembling. “Are you serious?”</p><p>He looked down at his hands. “Yes.”</p><p>“But… but I love you.”</p><p>He kept looking down. “Look what happened to you, Raquel. You’d be safer without me. If you stay with me, you’ll always be a fugitive, you’ll always be in danger. So… so you’re free to go if you want to.”</p><p>Her insecurities suddenly rose up again in full force, and this time she didn’t have the emotional strength to push them away. She had to ask him.</p><p>“Do you <em>want </em>me to go back to my old life?”</p><p>He looked up sharply. “What? No, of course not!”</p><p>“You can tell me if you do”, she said, her voice shaking. “I don’t want you to feel <em>obligated </em>just because we said we would…”</p><p>“What are you talking about?” he said, looking completely lost.</p><p>“I’d understand if you’d prefer to be alone again, or… or with someone else?”</p><p>He looked at her in horror. “<em>Why </em>would you think that?”</p><p>Suddenly her eyes spilled over and tears started streaming down her cheeks.</p><p>“We’re so different, Sergio. What if we start a life together and you get bored of me?”</p><p>He was staring at her. “That’s… that’s <em>absurd</em>, Raquel.”</p><p>“Wouldn’t you be happier with someone who’s more like you? Someone… someone like Elena?”</p><p>He couldn’t look more astonished. “<em>Elena?”</em></p><p>“You love talking to her”, she whispered.</p><p>“Wait”, he said, shaking his head in confusion. “<em>Wait</em>, you think I’d prefer <em>Elena over you?</em>”</p><p>“Maybe not right now…” she said. “But… but in the long term.”</p><p>“No!” he said vehemently. “Not now, not <em>ever</em>, Raquel, how could you <em>think </em>that?”</p><p>“You’re so similar. She challenges you.”</p><p>“You challenge me too!” he said, leaning forward and taking her hand. “You’re so smart and fierce and amazing. But more importantly, you <em>complete </em>me. You’re kind and sweet and generous and loving. With Elena, I can only be the Professor – intellectual and satisfying in a way, yes, but also arrogant, stubborn, and cold. She… she brings out the <em>worst</em> in me. But <em>you”, </em>he said softly, looking into her eyes. “You make me a better man. With you I can be… I can be Sergio, and for the first time in my life, I <em>want </em>to be. You… you made me find myself, Raquel. You made me feel truly alive for the first time.”</p><p>“I’m just afraid I might not be enough for you”, she whispered. “I’m afraid one day you’ll leave me.”</p><p>He looked at her for a long moment, seeming at a loss for words. Then he said softly:</p><p>“I’ve had a lot of time to think while you were asleep, Raquel. And… and almost losing you <em>made </em>me think. About how important you are in my life. About how much you mean to me.”</p><p>He hesitated. “I’m… I’m not really good with words. I don’t know… how to talk about what I feel.” Then he squared his shoulders. “But I want to try. Because… because you deserve to hear it. From what you’re telling me now, you clearly don’t know how I feel about you. You almost <em>died</em> not knowing, and that’s not right.”</p><p>She looked at him with wide eyes, wondering what was coming. He took a deep breath and looked up at her with such an earnest look in his eyes.</p><p>“I’m not sure I can really explain how I feel, Raquel. It’s… inexpressible. What words could possibly be enough? How can I tell you what I feel when I look at you? When you touch me? When you smile at me? And most of all: how can I say what I feel when… when you tell me that you love me? That you still love me, in spite of my flaws, in spite of my faults, in spite of everything. Raquel, I’ve… I’ve let you down, I’ve disappointed you, I’ve hurt you in every possible way, and yet you’re still here. What can I say to that? How can I tell you how grateful I am for every second with you? How proud I am to call you mine? How much I want to be a better man, to be worthy of you, of your love? I can’t… I can’t <em>say</em> it, but that doesn’t mean I don’t <em>feel</em> it. Because I do. I feel it <em>so much.</em> You know, I… I don’t deserve you. I’ll never deserve you. But I want to try, every day of my life, to get a little closer to deserving you. ”</p><p>She felt a warm glow in her chest at his words, but he wasn’t done.</p><p>“You know you’re my first love. I never understood it before. I didn’t understand how one person could become so important to someone. But I understand it now, because… because you are my… my best friend and… and my family and also my partner and the love of my life, and… and so much more.”</p><p>He shook his head. “So if you think that I would ever leave you… that I <em>could </em>ever leave you, you don’t understand what you are to me. Raquel”, he said softly, “you are everything to me. <em>Everything</em>. My love, my soul, my life. You are… the very <em>heart </em>of me. How could I live without my heart?”</p><p>There were tears on her cheeks again, but for an entirely different reason now. He reached out a hand and gently wiped them away.</p><p>“I’m a part of you now, right?” he murmured.</p><p>“Yes”, she whispered.</p><p>“Well, you’re a part of me too. The most important part, the <em>best </em>part. The part I can’t live without. For… for a moment I thought I’d lose you, and it was unbearable.”</p><p>“Then why did you offer to let me go back to my old life?”</p><p>He gazed at her earnestly. “Because your happiness is the most important thing to me. I don’t matter, as long as you would be happy.”</p><p>“I could never be happy without you”, she whispered.</p><p>“Then <em>what</em> <em>in the world</em>”, he murmured back at her, “makes you think I could be happy without <em>you</em>?”</p><p>She pulled him onto the bed with her, shifting over to make room for him, and he lay down beside her and cradled her carefully in his arms. She pressed her face against his chest, and it felt so good to be held by him, so good to finally be sure about their future together, that she couldn’t stop crying. He let her, gently stroking her hair and murmuring sweet things to her until she felt like her heart would burst.</p><p>“I’m so sorry, Raquel”, he whispered. “I’m sorry for not listening to you when you warned me about Elena. I’m sorry for making you feel like you weren’t enough. I’m sorry for not seeing how you felt. And I’m so, so sorry that it took you getting shot for me to tell you how much you really mean to me.”</p><p>Her tears were finally stopping, and she sighed deeply as she relaxed against him.</p><p>“Can you forgive me?”</p><p>“Yes”, she whispered.</p><p>“Then I’m the luckiest man in the world.”</p><p>She looked up to smile at him, and he bent his head and pressed his lips against hers in the softest kiss. He did it again, and again, and again, his kisses so sweet she wished he would never stop. Then he tenderly kissed her cheeks, her forehead, and the very tip of her nose. Finally he brushed his lips against her closed eyelids, kissing the last of her tears away. They leaned their foreheads together and lay in silence for a while, just breathing each other in.</p><p>She opened her eyes to look at him.</p><p>“You and me?” she murmured.</p><p>He gazed back at her with the softest look.</p><p>“Of course”, he said. “<em>Of course</em>, my love. You and me. Always.”</p><p>He gently pulled her closer, his arms wrapped around her, and she felt so soft and warm and happy. He made her feel so treasured. He made her feel so safe. He held her like he would never let her go again, and she cuddled up to him and finally allowed herself to believe in forever.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Escape</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I want to say thank you to everyone who left kudos and comments on the last chapter! I'm so overwhelmed and grateful! I'd been working towards that chapter for MONTHS, and it was amazing to finally be able to share it with you, and even more amazing that you were so enthusiastic about it! You are, without a doubt, the most wonderful readers in the world!</p><p>Today's chapter is technically the last of the story -- the next one will be an epilogue (though still a full-length chapter, I think). I'm in the middle of an extremely busy period at work, so I'm not entirely sure if I'll be able to post the next chapter next Sunday, but I'll try my hardest! </p><p>As always: a very big thank you to my incredible beta, thegirloverseas. You're the best! ♥</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Day 11</strong>
</p><p>When she woke up, his arms were still wrapped around her, and she felt so much better than she had in days. Her shoulder ached terribly, and she knew it was time for another dose of pain killers, but she felt strong and clear-headed as she opened her eyes. He was still sleeping soundly, and she didn’t stir as she gazed at him, a warm feeling in her chest as she thought about the things he’d said last night. She wanted to let him sleep a bit longer, but <em>damn it</em>, he looked so cute and she loved him so much… she just couldn’t resist. She shifted closer and softly kissed his cheek.</p><p>He opened sleepy eyes and smiled. “Good morning.”</p><p>“Good morning, my love.”</p><p>He blinked a few times and seemed to wake up a little more.</p><p>“How are you feeling?”</p><p>“Much better”, she said.</p><p>“Good”, he murmured. “We have a busy day ahead of us.”</p><p>“Right”, she said, a bright, tingling feeling of joy spreading through her at the thought. “Our last day. In a few hours, we’ll be out of here.”</p><p>“Yes”, he said. “By tonight, we’ll be on board a ship with Paula and 2.4 billion euros, sailing far away from here.”</p><p>“To our island”, she whispered.</p><p>He nodded. “To our island.”</p><p>“I can’t wait to take walks on the beach.”</p><p>“Hmm”, he murmured, nuzzling her cheek. “And I can’t wait to kiss you on that beach.”</p><p>She smiled. “And then lie underneath the palm trees.”</p><p>“I can’t wait to kiss you underneath the palm trees either.”</p><p>“And go swimming in the ocean.”</p><p>“I don’t really like swimming”, he said. “But I’ll kiss you in the ocean too.”</p><p>Her smile widened. “You seem to be planning on a lot of kissing.”</p><p>“Oh, I am”, he said seriously. “I plan on kissing you every moment of the day, every day, for the rest of my life.”</p><p>She looked at him, delighted. “That’s a lot of kisses.”</p><p>“Millions”, he murmured. “Millions and millions, and I look forward to every single one of them.”</p><p>“How about we start now, then?” she whispered, tilting her face up to bring her lips close to his.</p><p>“That”, he said, “is an <em>excellent </em>idea.”</p><p>He bent his head and kissed her, gently, sweetly, and she hummed with contentment as she melted against him. How she loved those first kisses in the morning, still soft with sleep, creating a little bubble just for the two of them, before the concerns of the day started intruding on their peace. But then he hugged her closer and she winced involuntarily at the pain in her shoulder, and he immediately released her.</p><p>“I’m so sorry”, he said.</p><p>“It’s okay”, she said, unwilling to stop kissing him, but he gave her a concerned look and sat up.</p><p>“I’ll go get you some breakfast so you can take your pain killers.”</p><p>“Alright”, she sighed regretfully. “I suppose we should get started on our day.”</p><p>…</p><p>By the time breakfast was over and he’d taken care of her shoulder, the excitement of their last day was really taking hold of everyone. He told her to stay in bed, but she couldn’t anymore – people were constantly moving through the tunnel now, bringing over rolls of money and talking excitedly about leaving. It was time to bring in the truck and start loading the money, so Raquel went over to Elena.</p><p>“How are you today, Raquel?”</p><p>“I’m feeling much better.”</p><p>“I’m glad to hear that.” Elena looked around. “Looks like you’re leaving today?”</p><p>“Yes, we are.”</p><p>Elena cleared her throat. “So… what’s going to happen to me? Are you taking me with you as a hostage?”</p><p>“No”, Raquel said. “We’re leaving you here.”</p><p>Elena’s eyes widened in alarm, so Raquel quickly clarified:</p><p>“Just for a few hours! We’ll call the command center and tell them where they can pick you up once we’re far enough away.”</p><p>Elena nodded, relieved. “Alright.”</p><p>“But now I do have to blindfold you, so you don’t see how we’re going to get away.”</p><p>“I understand.”</p><p>“I’ll stay here and talk to you, I can’t lift anything yet anyway.”</p><p>“Thank you”, Elena said. “I appreciate that.”</p><p>Raquel blindfolded her, and the beer truck was driven into the hangar. They divided the work: Nairobi returned to the Mint to oversee the last of the printing; Berlin, Tokyo and Rio were guarding the hostages; Oslo and Helsinki kept going back and forth through the tunnel with the money, and Moscow and Denver were putting the rolls of money into barrels and loading them into the truck, while Monica had been put behind the desk to watch the screens and listen to Angel’s bug. Sergio was overseeing everything, regularly going back and forth between the hangar and the Mint. Raquel watched it all with a feeling of suppressed excitement as she sat beside Elena and they talked.</p><p>“I can’t believe you lasted an entire ten days”, Elena said.</p><p>“We had a good plan. Sergio’s strategies were sound.”</p><p>“Yes, they were.”</p><p>“But I don’t think we’d have lasted this long if you had stayed on the case. It’s a good thing we caught you.”</p><p>“Well”, Elena said drily. “Technically <em>I </em>caught <em>you</em>. It just didn’t last very long.”</p><p>Raquel smiled, her eyes on Sergio, who looked very sexy as he was directing things. He went down the ladder and disappeared into the tunnel.</p><p>“So where are you going after this?” Elena asked lightly.</p><p>Raquel opened her mouth to answer automatically, then she stopped and grinned. “Oh, that was sneaky of you! I almost told you.”</p><p>Elena chuckled. “It was worth a shot.”</p><p>“Lisbon!” Monica suddenly called out from behind the desk. “I think something’s happening!”</p><p>Raquel quickly got up and hurried over to her.</p><p>“What’s wrong?”</p><p>“They’re arguing”, Monica said, turning up the volume of the radio.</p><p>“… been in there for ten days now, it’s enough!” they heard the voice of Colonel Prieto say. “We have to go in!”</p><p>“But the hostages might get hurt!” Angel protested.</p><p>“We can’t let this drag on indefinitely, Rubio. It’s time for action!”</p><p>“We can’t risk…”</p><p>“Rubio, you will enter that building <em>now</em>, or I will personally make sure you get fired!”</p><p>There was a silence, and Raquel felt every muscle in her body tense as she waited. This couldn’t be happening, not now, not mere <em>hours </em>before they were leaving! Then, to her utter dismay, Angel said:</p><p>“Suarez! We’re going in.”</p><p>Raquel cursed loudly and immediately went into action. She knew the police team to enter the Mint would already stand prepared, ready to go at a moment’s notice, so their own team had mere <em>minutes</em> to get out.</p><p>“They’re coming!” she shouted at Denver and Moscow, who started moving faster to get all the barrels in the truck.</p><p>Raquel picked up the phone and called the Mint, keeping an eye on the screens, her heart racing. There was nobody in the breakroom, and nobody came as the phone rang. With the tunnel open, manning the phone had become less of a priority, and everyone was clearly busy elsewhere. She swore with frustration, then she remembered that they’d asked several members of the team to wear the headsets they had used during the first day: Berlin inside the Mint, and Helsinki going back and forth through the tunnel. She quickly put on her own headset.</p><p>“Berlin?” she said urgently. “Helsinki? Can you hear me?”</p><p>The only answer was static, however, and she cursed heatedly. The police must be using a frequency jammer to keep them from communicating with each other, which meant that there was no way to reach the team electronically.</p><p>Through the radio, she heard Angel go outside, where Suarez was giving last instructions to his team. <em>Ten minutes</em>, Raquel estimated, and the people in the Mint entirely unsuspecting. <em>Fuck, fuck, fuck!</em></p><p>“Denver!” she yelled. “Go through the tunnel and tell everyone to get out! Now!”</p><p>Denver dropped what he was doing and raced towards the entrance of the tunnel. Next to Raquel, Monica stood up anxiously.</p><p>“I’m sorry for sending him into danger”, Raquel said. “But he’s faster than Moscow.”</p><p>She kept the phone ringing, still hoping desperately that someone would hear it and pick up. It would take Denver about ten minutes to get through the tunnel, by which time the police would be at the door. Through the camera images, she saw Sergio talking to Nairobi, completely oblivious, and her heart was beating frantically. <em>Get out, my love, get out!</em> She pushed a few buttons to access the cameras on the outside of the Mint, and she saw several black vehicles approach, each loaded with armed men. She was close to panicking now, her eyes wide as she watched the police come closer, and she was fervently hoping, <em>praying, </em>that Denver would get there in time.</p><p>“Oh no”, Monica was whispering beside her, her eyes on the screens too. “Oh no, oh no, oh no…”</p><p>The vehicles stopped at the building and men in black armored suits got out, each armed to the teeth, and the women watched on in horror as they put up explosives against the door of the loading bay. On the other screen, Sergio was still talking to Nairobi, and Raquel had to use all of her restraint not to yell at the screen that he had to get out, run, <em>run!</em></p><p>“Look!” Monica said suddenly, pointing at one of the images, where Denver could be seen racing through the building, bumping into Oslo and Helsinki along the way and pointing them towards the tunnel. Raquel followed his progress with bated breath, until he reached Nairobi and Sergio, and started gesturing urgently. She was just about to breathe a sigh of relief, when the door to the loading bay exploded inward and the police started streaming through.</p><p><em>Get out, Sergio, get out! </em>was the only thing she could think, blood pounding in her ears as she saw Denver, Nairobi and Sergio start to run. The static in her headset suddenly cleared, and she realized that the police had turned off their frequency jammer so they could communicate with their own people.</p><p>“Berlin!” she shouted, and on the camera in the museum, she could see him look up.</p><p>“Yes, Lisbon?”</p><p>“The police are in! Leave the hostages and get to the tunnel, <em>now</em>!”</p><p>“Understood!” he said, then she heard him shout orders to Tokyo and Rio, and a moment later, she saw on the camera that they started running towards the exit. Raquel watched everyone move from image to image, her nails biting into her palms as she saw the police march through the loading bay and into the hallways. <em>Faster</em>, she thought at the running figures. <em>They’re almost there, hurry!</em></p><p>It was essential that the team got into the tunnel with a head start, because if the police were too close behind them, people would be killed when they blew it up, policemen and team members alike. <em>Not </em>blowing up the tunnel, on the other hand, would mean that armed men would be streaming out of it right behind the team and there would be a shoot-out in the hangar. Raquel desperately hoped that she wouldn’t have to make that choice.</p><p>Meanwhile, Oslo and Helsinki were coming out of the tunnel, and immediately started helping Moscow with the loading of the truck. Sergio, Nairobi and Denver had disappeared from view – there were no cameras near the vault where the tunnel was. Meanwhile Berlin, Tokyo and Rio were still running, the police very close on their heels. They would only just make it, Raquel realized with an icy feeling. The police were too close. She would have to blow up the tunnel while there were still people inside of it. She knew they wouldn’t survive.</p><p>A horrible, horrible thought suddenly struck her. She knew Sergio, she knew him so well – he would stay, wouldn’t he, until he’d seen the last person of his team to safety? Wouldn’t he be the last person through that tunnel, the police right behind him? <em>No</em>, she thought desperately, <em>no, Sergio, please!</em> She felt herself go numb – for several long moments, she couldn’t breathe, she couldn’t move – but then she shook her head and lifted her chin. She knew she would never be able to push that button while he was still inside the tunnel. If that meant letting the police in, so be it – they would make their last stand together. <em>You and me</em>, she thought. <em>Always. </em></p><p>By now, both the team and the police had disappeared from view and all they could do was wait, and it was agony. Raquel wanted nothing more than to jump down into that tunnel herself to go find him, but she knew that was completely irrational, so she stayed beside Monica, who took her hand and held it tight.</p><p>“It will be alright”, Raquel whispered, trying to convince herself as much as Monica. “It will be alright.”</p><p>Suddenly, Denver’s head appeared at the entrance to the tunnel, and Monica ran to him, Raquel close behind her. Then Nairobi came through, and for several seconds, Raquel stared at the entrance to the tunnel, seeing her worst fear realized – he’d stayed behind.</p><p>“Is he… is he…” she whispered to Nairobi, but then suddenly there he was, and she clapped a hand to her mouth to stifle a sob. He was safe, he was <em>safe</em>, he hadn’t sacrificed himself. He clambered out of the hole and straightened up, and she threw her arm around his neck and held him tight, fighting back tears.</p><p>“Thank god”, she whispered. “Thank god.”</p><p>“It’s okay”, he said, breathless from hurrying through the tunnel. “I’m alright. Is everybody here?”</p><p>“No”, she said, “Berlin, Tokyo and Rio are still in there.”</p><p>“What?” he said, horrified. “I thought they were ahead of us!”</p><p>“No”, she said quietly. “They’re not. They were a few minutes behind you, and the police were right behind <em>them</em>. Sergio… Sergio, we have to blow up the tunnel.”</p><p>He ran towards the desk and put on his own headset.</p><p>“Berlin!” Sergio said urgently. “Berlin, where are you?”</p><p>Berlin answered immediately. “Don’t blow up the tunnel yet! Rio and Tokyo are coming through!”</p><p>“What about you?” Sergio said.</p><p>At that point, gun shots could be heard through the headset, and Raquel and Sergio looked at each other in horror.</p><p>“Berlin, what about you?” Sergio repeated frantically.</p><p>“I’m a bit busy at the moment.”</p><p>There were more gunshots, and Raquel clapped a hand to her mouth.</p><p>“He’s keeping them off”, she whispered. “So Tokyo and Rio can get through.”</p><p>Sergio started shaking his head. “Enter the tunnel, Berlin!”</p><p>“Negative!” came Berlin’s voice.</p><p>“Andrés”, Sergio said urgently, “we’re going to blow up the tunnel, you <em>have </em>to get out of there.”</p><p>“They’re closing in, it’s too late. Go now!”</p><p>Raquel had a sinking feeling in her stomach as more gunshots sounded through the headset. She knew what was about to happen, but Sergio couldn’t accept it yet.</p><p>“I’m not leaving here without you and you know it.”</p><p>“Old age isn’t meant for me”, Berlin said. “Can you imagine me drooling and losing control over my bowels? No, I don’t have the courage for that. I prefer this.”</p><p>Raquel nodded – Berlin, already dying, was choosing honor one last time. She put her hand on Sergio’s arm, but he shook her off, his eyes full of tears.</p><p>“Get out, <em>please</em>”, he whispered.</p><p>“Sergio!” Berlin yelled. “You promised me you’d get out if things got ugly, and they’re ugly. Lisbon?”</p><p>“Yes, Berlin?”</p><p>“Are Tokyo and Rio through?”</p><p>“Yes”, she said, seeing them emerge from the tunnel.</p><p>“Good! Helsinki?”</p><p>“Yes?” Helsinki said through his own headset, standing at the entrance to the tunnel to help out Tokyo and Rio.</p><p>“Blow up the tunnel.”</p><p>Helsinki got the remote out of his pocket, and Sergio raised his hand at him.</p><p>“No…” he said. “No…”</p><p>“Helsinki, this is an order!” Berlin shouted. “Soldier, blow up the tunnel!”</p><p>“Helsinki, no!” Sergio yelled, running at him. “No, don’t!”</p><p>Helsinki caught him at the entrance to the tunnel, and they struggled.</p><p>“I love you, little brother”, Berlin’s voice came through the headset, and Raquel’s throat felt tight. “Don’t you forget it.”</p><p>“Helsinki, let me go!” Sergio shouted, trying to get to the tunnel.</p><p>“Raquel?” Berlin said.</p><p>“Yes”, she whispered.</p><p>“Take care of him.”</p><p>She squared her shoulders so she could give him a firm answer: “I will. Goodbye, Berlin.”</p><p>“Andrés, <em>please!</em>” Sergio sobbed, and Raquel’s heart was breaking for him.</p><p>“I’ve always been a bit of an asshole”, Berlin said. “But today… I think I feel like dying with dignity.”</p><p>Raquel took off her headset so she wouldn’t have to hear the shots taking Berlin down. Helsinki, still struggling with Sergio, finally managed to push the button, and the tunnel blew up, spraying sand and dust everywhere as Sergio went limp in Helsinki’s arms. He lowered him carefully to the ground as his knees gave way, and Raquel hurried over to them, falling to her knees to put a hand on Sergio’s arm. The moment he felt her presence, he turned to her and held her tight, sobbing, burying his face against her shoulder. She held him tight in return, ignoring the pain in her shoulder, and gently stroked the back of his neck.</p><p>“I’m so sorry, my love”, she whispered. “I’m so, so sorry.”</p><p>“Why?” he breathed. “<em>Why</em>?”</p><p>Suddenly, Rio and Tokyo were beside them, still breathing hard.</p><p>“He saved us”, Rio said, his voice shaking. “He saved our lives.”</p><p>“We would have had to blow up the tunnel with them inside it”, Raquel said to Sergio. “Your brother died to prevent that. He saved them, Sergio, he didn’t die in vain.”</p><p>He kept crying, and as she held him, she felt a strange mix of emotions. She was sorry about Berlin, but everyone else had made it out safely, and with the tunnel blown up, the police now had no idea where they were, and she felt a heady rush of relief as well. They were almost, <em>almost </em>safe. Still…</p><p>“We have to get out of here, my love”, she murmured to him. “We have to get out of the city before they close it down.”</p><p>He shook his head, and she realized he was incapable of giving orders right now. She looked up to see the team gathered around them.</p><p>“Someone get him a chair.”</p><p>Nairobi returned immediately with one of the desk chairs, and, together, she and Raquel helped Sergio get up and into the chair, where he sat down with his face in his hands.</p><p>Then Raquel turned around, took a deep breath and lifted her chin.</p><p>“Prepare to leave”, she said firmly. “Helsinki, drive the truck outside and wait there for us. The rest of you…” She glanced over at Elena, who could still hear them. “You know what to do and where to meet us. Go!”</p><p>They immediately dispersed and started taking off their red overalls to put on the regular clothes that were prepared for them. Helsinki was ready first and drove the truck outside. The moment the door closed behind it, Raquel headed over to Elena and took off her blindfold.</p><p>“So Berlin is dead?” she asked immediately.</p><p>“Yes. He stayed behind.”</p><p>Elena looked over at Sergio, who was looking at the ground with the most defeated look.</p><p>“Why is he so upset?”</p><p>“Berlin was his brother”, Raquel explained quietly.</p><p>Elena wrinkled her nose. “<em>Seriously? </em>Well, I suppose you can’t choose your family.”</p><p>Then she looked up at Raquel. “So. I suppose you’re leaving before they close the perimeter of the city?”</p><p>“Yes”, Raquel nodded. She saw that Oslo and Nairobi were both dressed and ready to leave, so she called them over.</p><p>“Yes, Lisbon?”</p><p>Raquel nodded at Elena. “Untie her.”</p><p>“Are you kidding?” Nairobi said, and Elena’s eyebrows shot up as well.</p><p>“Just for a moment.”</p><p>“Are you sure you want to risk it, after what happened?”</p><p>“We’re not taking any risks”, Raquel said firmly. “Oslo, please keep your gun on her.”</p><p>Oslo nodded and pointed his gun at Elena. Nairobi hesitated one more moment, then walked behind Elena’s chair and unlocked her chains. Elena got up slowly, looking at Raquel uncertainly.</p><p>Raquel held out her hand. “Goodbye, Elena.”</p><p>Elena regarded her steadily, then she smiled her half-smile as she took Raquel’s hand.</p><p>“Goodbye, Raquel.”</p><p>“I’ll call the police to come and pick you up as soon as I safely can.”</p><p>“Don’t do it too soon”, Elena warned her. “Because the moment I’m free, I’m coming after you with everything I have.”</p><p>Raquel grinned. “I wouldn’t expect anything less from you.”</p><p>Elena glanced over at Sergio. “Tell him… tell him I’m sorry about his brother.”</p><p>Raquel nodded. “I will.”</p><p>Elena looked at her. “I hope you’ll be happy, Raquel. You deserve it.”</p><p>“Thank you”, Raquel said. “You too. I’m sure you’ll make an excellent Commissioner one day.”</p><p>The women nodded at each other one last time, then Elena sat back down and Nairobi tied her to the chair again, and Raquel felt a small, bright fire kindling in her chest at the thought that they were finally, <em>finally</em> getting out of here.</p><p>The members of the team left one by one through the door, while Raquel went and kneeled before Sergio’s chair. She caught his face between her hands and said gently:</p><p>“My love, we have to go.”</p><p>He looked at her, still dazed with shock.</p><p>“He’s gone, Raquel. He’s gone.”</p><p>She felt so desperately sorry for him.</p><p>“I know, my darling, it’s awful, but this was how he wanted it. He chose his own way out, and we need to respect that. He died with dignity, he died with honor.”</p><p>“Raquel… he was my only family.”</p><p>“That’s not true anymore”, she said softly. “We’re a family now, you and me. You’re not alone.”</p><p>She stroked his cheek.</p><p>“I’m with you”, she said. “I’m <em>right here </em>with you, my love. Always. <em>Always.</em>”</p><p>Suddenly his eyes focused, and he seemed to actually see her. He lifted a hand and touched her cheek.</p><p>“Raquel”, he whispered. “What would I do without you?”</p><p>“That”, she said firmly, “is something you’ll never have to find out.”</p><p>He shook himself and nodded. She took his hand and squeezed it tightly, and that seemed to give him the strength to take a deep breath and get up. Raquel felt the fire inside her burn brighter as they turned towards the door, hand in hand, to see the last members of the team step outside. She looked at him, and he looked at her, and she saw a little bit of her own fire spark in his eyes.</p><p>“Shall we get out of here?”</p><p>“Yes please”, she said. “Let’s <em>go</em>.”</p><p>…</p><p>To Raquel’s relief, the truck got out of Madrid before the police closed off the major roads. Helsinki and Oslo would be driving the money to Portugal, but they dropped off Sergio and Raquel at the outskirts of the city, where a car was waiting for them so they could drive to Raquel’s sister’s house in the suburbs. Sergio hadn’t said a word on the drive out of the city, and Raquel was worried that he might not be in a fit state to drive the car, but he got into the driver’s seat without comment and followed Raquel’s instructions on where to go. As they drove through the suburbs, Raquel’s stomach started tingling with excitement at the thought that she would finally, <em>finally </em>see her daughter again. A few weeks ago, Sergio had arranged some surveillance of her sister’s house, and they had noticed that on school days like today, Mariví picked up Paula from school and then they were alone in the house for a few hours before Raquel’s sister came home from work. It was in that window of time that they would now go get Paula.</p><p>Sergio pulled up at the curb next to her sister’s house, and Raquel looked out at it, barely able to believe it. Her daughter was in there. Only a few minutes now, and she would be in her arms. Then she turned to Sergio.</p><p>“You can stay in the car if you want”, she said softly.</p><p>He shook himself. “No… no, I would like to come with you.”</p><p>“Are you sure?”</p><p>“Yes. I would like to meet your mother. Unless you would prefer to go in alone?”</p><p>“Of course not”, she said, placing her hand on his arm. “I would love to have you there with me.”</p><p>They got out of the car together and walked towards the front door, Raquel’s heart beating fast. This was why she had agreed to participate in the operation in the first place, this was the reason why she had stepped out of that prison van and into her new life – to get Paula back. And now, now it was finally happening.</p><p>She rang the doorbell, Sergio by her side, and as she looked at him, breathless, he gave her a soft smile.</p><p>The door opened, and Raquel felt such a rush of emotions as she saw her mother standing there.</p><p>“Hello mamá”, she said, her throat tight as she watched the expression of utter surprise on Mariví’s face.</p><p>“Raquel”, she whispered, her eyes wide. “<em>Raquel!”</em></p><p>The next moment, she was in her mother’s arms and they were laughing and crying at the same time. Mariví hugged her tight, then held her at arm’s length to look at her.</p><p>“Raquel, are you alright?”</p><p>“Yes, mamá, I am.”</p><p>“Where have you <em>been</em>? They told us you were taken from your prison van by armed men and I… I didn’t know <em>what </em>to think, I…” her voice broke. “I didn’t know if you were alive or dead.”</p><p>“I’m sorry I couldn’t contact you to let you know I was alright”, Raquel said. “We just couldn’t risk it.”</p><p>“So what happened?”</p><p>Raquel put a hand on Sergio’s arm.</p><p>“Mamá, this is Sergio. He rescued me on my way to prison and I’ve been… working with him.”</p><p>Sergio held out his hand to a confused Mariví, and she shook it.</p><p>“It’s nice to meet you”, he said warmly.</p><p>“And you too”, she replied. “Uhm… what kind of work have you been doing?”</p><p>“That’s a long story”, Raquel said. “We really don’t have time right now. We’re here for Paula.”</p><p>“Yes, of course”, Mariví said. “Of course you want to see her, come in, come in, she’s in the kitchen doing her homework.”</p><p>Raquel’s heart was in her throat as she followed her mother through the house, Sergio close behind her.</p><p>“Paula mi amor”, Mariví said. “Look who’s here for you.”</p><p>And there she was, a small, brown-haired figure sitting at the kitchen table, bent over her books, and Raquel’s lips started trembling at the familiar sight.</p><p>Paula looked up.</p><p>“<em>Mamá</em>!”</p><p>Raquel kneeled down and caught her daughter in her arms, feeling like her heart would burst. Oh, <em>oh</em>, how she’d longed for this moment, she’d <em>dreamt </em>of it, she’d lived towards it for six months and she ignored the pain in her shoulder as Paula wrapped her arms around her neck and held on like she would never let go again.</p><p>“Oh”, Raquel murmured, pressing her daughter close. “Oh, my darling, my darling.”</p><p>She turned her head and pressed kiss after kiss to her daughter’s cheek and hair.</p><p>“You’re back!” Paula said, her little arms tightly around Raquel.</p><p>“Of course I’m back, mi amor, of course.”</p><p>“Daddy said you would never come back.”</p><p>“My darling”, Raquel said, “I would never, ever leave you. <em>Ever.</em>”</p><p>“So you’re staying?”</p><p>She gently disengaged from Paula and took her daughter’s face between her hands.</p><p>“I’m definitely not leaving you again, but I can’t stay here. I’m here to take you with me.”</p><p>“Where are we going?”</p><p>She didn’t have time to explain everything properly now, and she felt that half an explanation might do more harm than good. Better to tell a white lie now and explain things on the boat.</p><p>“We’re going on a trip to a different country, far away. We’ll go to the beach and go swimming in the ocean. Would you like that?”</p><p>“Yes!”</p><p>“Then let’s go get the things you want to take with you.”</p><p>She straightened up and Paula held on tight to her hand. Then she looked over at Sergio, who was watching them from the doorway, and she beckoned him into the room.</p><p>“Paula, sweetheart, I want you to meet someone. This is Sergio.”</p><p>Sergio came forward and shyly said: “Hello Paula. It’s nice to finally meet you.”</p><p>“Hello, Sergio”, Paula said, looking at him curiously. Then, when Raquel squeezed her hand, she remembered her manners. “It’s nice to meet you too.”</p><p>She was still giving Sergio that curious look she had, and Raquel felt a question coming.</p><p>“Are you and my mom dating?”</p><p>Raquel smiled at her daughter’s keen sense of perception, then quickly kneeled down again.</p><p>“Yes, sweetheart, we are. In fact, we love each other very much. Sergio is coming with us on our trip. Is that okay?”</p><p>Paula gave him a considering look, then nodded. “Yes, it’s okay.”</p><p>“Thank you”, Sergio said, clearly relieved, and Raquel gave him a delighted smile.</p><p>“Alright Paula”, she said. “Let’s go pack a bag for you so we can leave.”</p><p>Then she turned around and saw her mother’s face.</p><p>“You’re leaving again?”</p><p>“Yes, mamá, we can’t stay.”</p><p>She saw comprehension dawn on Mariví’s face as she understood that, this time, Raquel wasn’t coming back. As she saw the tears in her mother’s eyes, Raquel suddenly realized that this would be the last time they’d ever see each other. She’d been so focused on finally seeing her daughter again, that she hadn’t thought about how this would be goodbye for her and her mother, and now that it suddenly sank in, she felt like her heart would break.</p><p>“Mamá, how are you? How is your condition?”</p><p>Mariví put on a brave smile. “I’m fine.”</p><p>Raquel looked around the kitchen, noticing for the first time that there were post-its everywhere.</p><p>“Mamá… do you live here now?”</p><p>“Yes”, Mariví said reluctantly. “I moved in about a month ago, when the doctor said it would be better for me not to live alone anymore.”</p><p>Raquel felt her stomach sink. “I thought the doctor had said it would take <em>years</em> before you got to that point.”</p><p>There was a sadness in her mother’s eyes as she shook her head. “It’s an unpredictable illness. It… it suddenly got worse very fast.”</p><p>“But then you need care”, Raquel said, feeling more and more worried. She hadn’t anticipated this. “Is Marta taking good care of you?”</p><p>Mariví hesitated, then said: “Your sister does what she can.”</p><p>Raquel wasn’t fooled. Her self-centered sister wasn’t made to look after other people. Raquel looked at the post-its again, realizing that her mother would only get sicker from now on. How had she not thought of that before? But when she’d been sent to prison, her mother had still seemed fine… It was a shock to suddenly realize that she wasn’t fine at all. Having to leave her like this made Raquel want to cry.</p><p>Sergio had been watching them, and he put a hand on her arm.</p><p>“Raquel, can I talk to you for a minute?”</p><p>“Yes”, Mariví said firmly, holding out her hand to Paula. “We’ll go pack a bag in the meantime, shall we, Paula?”</p><p>Paula clung tighter to Raquel’s hand. “I want to stay with mom!”</p><p>“Go with your grandmother for just a minute, my darling”, Raquel said encouragingly. “I’ll be right with you.”</p><p>Mariví took Paula’s hand, and they left, Paula looking back at her mother. When she was alone with him, Raquel allowed her tears to spill over.</p><p>“Oh Sergio, I don’t know if my mother will be okay.”</p><p>“Why don’t we take her with us?” he asked quietly.</p><p>She looked up sharply. “What?”</p><p>“She could come with us.”</p><p>“How?”</p><p>“I have an associate in Lisbon who could get her a false passport at short notice and…” He swallowed hard. “She can take Berlin’s place on the boat.”</p><p>“But Sergio… are you sure about this? She’s not well, she would have to live with us.”</p><p>He looked down at the ground. “Family is important, Raquel. I… I don’t want you to lose her sooner than you have to.”</p><p>She hugged him fiercely, pressing her face against his chest.</p><p>“Thank you”, she whispered. “Thank you, thank you.”</p><p>“Of course, my love”, he murmured, carefully wrapping his arms around her and kissing her hair.</p><p>“Mamá!” Raquel called out, and a moment later, Mariví and Paula reappeared. “Mamá, would you like to come with us?”</p><p>Mariví’s face lit up. “Come… come with you? Are you sure?”</p><p>“Yes”, Raquel said. “If you want to.”</p><p>Her mother hesitated for only a moment, then nodded firmly. “Yes, I want to.”</p><p>Raquel’s heart leapt. “Then go pack some things, we don’t have much time.”</p><p>…</p><p>Half an hour later, they were off, Sergio driving as Raquel sat in the back seat between her mother and her daughter, feeling overwhelmed with happiness. Paula was holding on tight to her hand and talking non-stop, while her other hand was in Mariví’s, who squeezed it every once in a while, smiling at her. She couldn’t believe that this was real, that this was actually happening. Six months ago, she had left Madrid in handcuffs, alone, driving towards prison. Now, she was leaving with her mother and daughter and the man she loved, driving towards a life beyond her wildest dreams.</p><p>Paula wouldn’t leave her side whenever they stopped for gas or bathroom breaks. After a few hours in the car, though, she’d exhausted herself talking and she fell asleep leaning against Raquel, giving Raquel a chance to talk to her mother. Mariví told her how difficult life had been with Marta and Alberto.</p><p>“And of course, only yesterday, Alberto suddenly got arrested!” Mariví said, quietly so Paula wouldn’t wake up. “Some new evidence surfaced, showing that he’d been the one to steal those drugs!”</p><p>“I know”, Raquel said. “It was Sergio who found that evidence.”</p><p>Her mother glanced over at him. “He seems like a good man.”</p><p>“He is, mamá”, Raquel said warmly. “He really is. You’ll like him.”</p><p>Mariví leaned closer to her and whispered: “Are you very much in love?”</p><p>Raquel smiled broadly. “Yes, we really are.”</p><p>“Good”, her mother said with satisfaction. “That’s what I like to hear.”</p><p>It was almost dark when they arrived in Lisbon. Sergio made a short stop to get Mariví a passport, then they drove on towards the small harbor town where their boat was waiting for them. The rest of the gang was already there, and Mariví and Paula were introduced to the friends who would be making the journey with them. Paula looked at the boat in awe, her eyes shining at the prospect of the adventure they were embarking on, but Raquel saw that something was dawning on Mariví about the kind of ‘work’ she’d been doing – after all, it didn’t look like they were leaving the country in the most legal way. Her mother said nothing, however, simply seeming content that she would be going with them.</p><p>Sergio shook hands with the captain, then they started loading everything on board, both the barrels filled with money, and what little luggage they had brought, and soon they were on their way to Casablanca. As the setting sun set the sky ablaze with colors, the team gathered at the railing of the ship to look out over the water. Raquel stood amongst them, feeling a stab of sorrow for Berlin, but so grateful that everyone else had made it out alive. As she watched the coastline of Europe dwindle in the distance, she realized she didn’t feel any regret at all for the life she was leaving behind. She was holding her daughter’s hand, her mother on Paula’s other side, and Sergio was beside her, his arm around her waist. They had more than two billion euros in the hold. What more could she possibly want?</p><p>She looked up at Sergio. She knew that the joy she was feeling must be mixed with a lot of sadness for him, and she saw it in his eyes as he looked down at her.</p><p>“Hey”, she whispered. “We did it.”</p><p>She watched him push away his grief to smile at her.</p><p>“Yes”, he whispered back. “We did it. You and me.”</p><p>“You and me”, she repeated.</p><p>His arm tightened around her waist.</p><p>“Raquel”, he murmured. “You know how I almost didn’t recruit you. In some alternate universe, I would have done this heist without you.”</p><p>“I’m sure you still would have managed it.”</p><p>He gazed at her steadily. “Maybe. But at what cost?”</p><p>She thought about him alone in the control room, trying to manage everything by himself and having to go out regularly. How much sooner would they have had to end the operation then? How many lives would it have cost?</p><p>“But worst of all”, he said quietly, “I would have been here without you. I… I can’t imagine that, Raquel. I don’t <em>want </em>to imagine that.”</p><p>“Me neither”, she murmured back.</p><p>“I’m so happy you’re here with me”, he whispered.</p><p>She smiled. “I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”</p><p>He looked at her, his eyes so warm, and she gazed back at him, her entire body humming with emotion. There was relief and gratitude and a glorious, golden feeling of joy, and, in the middle of her chest, a sense of love so bright and shining that she felt like it must be visible from the outside, she must be illuminated, she must be <em>glowing. </em>Then he bent his head and kissed her. With his lips on hers, the feeling grew so much stronger still, and she just <em>knew </em>that he felt it too, and that, standing on the deck of this ship sailing into the gathering darkness, <em>together </em>they were lighting up the night.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
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<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Epilogue 1: Madrid</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Don't get excited! This isn't a 'real' chapter, I'm sorry :') Unfortunately, due to a combination of having lots of work and struggling with my mental health again, I haven't been able to finish the epilogue for Serquel. However, several people requested some more Elena, so I wrote a little separate epilogue for her :) It's very short, just over 2000 words, and it's not integral to the story, so if you're not interested in Elena, you can skip it :) The real, Serquel epilogue will be posted next week (I hope). I'm sorry if you're disappointed! On the other hand, I'm also a little relieved that I won't have to say goodbye to this story for another week :') </p><p>My apologies again! I hope the chapter next week can make up for the wait :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>Elena was pacing back and forth in her living room, wishing with all her might that she could be at the station right now. It had been three days since her colleagues had gotten her out of that hangar, three days since they’d questioned her and she’d been able to contribute something useful to the investigation. Then, she’d been sent home for a week of leave to ‘recover’ from her ‘ordeal’, no matter how much she’d protested that she was fine. To cope with her ‘trauma’, there had been a mandatory session with a psychologist, who had asked her a lot of personal questions, all of which she’d refused to answer because she was <em>fine</em>. When he remarked that this was a mandatory session, she’d pointed out that her <em>attendance </em>might be mandatory, but her cooperation sure wasn’t, and he’d written in his report that she was stubborn and difficult – which she was sure wouldn’t come as a surprise to her boss – but she didn’t have to come back.</p><p>Four more days… Four more days of sitting at home while the investigation was being conducted without her, four days of losing precious time while the band of robbers got further and further away from them. <em>She </em>should be running things, she was the best person for the job: she knew Sergio better than anyone, she knew the way his mind worked. She also wanted to coordinate contact with Interpol, because Matisse over there was an idiot, and was probably botching things at this very minute. Why, <em>why </em>was she being kept at home when they needed her? She wondered if she was being punished for choosing to save Raquel’s life over escaping from the hangar and exposing the Professor’s center of operations. If that was the case, she thought, raising her chin, she still didn’t regret her actions.</p><p>She kept pacing, her mind running through the things she wanted to set in motion once she was allowed to go back to her job, until the doorbell interrupted her train of thought. She went to open the door to see a young man in a uniform standing there with a large box in his arms.</p><p>“Delivery for Elena González”, he said.</p><p>“A delivery?” she said, surprised.</p><p>“Please sign here.”</p><p>She signed his form, then took the heavy box from him, mystified as to what it could be. When she took it inside and opened it, her eyes went wide: the entire box was filled with crisp, clean notes of fifty euros. <em>Raquel. </em>She felt an immediate stab of annoyance: it offended her deeply that Raquel would think she’d accept a bribe like that. Then she noticed that there was a note on top of the money.</p><p>
  <em>Don’t be offended, this isn’t a bribe. I know you won’t keep it, but I thought you might like to give it to a charity of your choosing. </em>
</p><p>She felt slightly mollified as she turned the note over. It wasn’t signed, but it didn’t have to be – who else would send her a box full of money? She examined the box, but of course there was no information about the sender. Still – deliveries like this left a trace – the box must have been dropped off at the delivery service somewhere<em>. </em>She was fairly confident that the robbers would have left Europe by boat, so if she could trace this box back to its source, she might be able to find out what harbor they left from, giving her a starting point for her investigation. She felt a clear sense of focus and purpose settle over her for the first time in days as she picked up her phone and called the delivery company.</p><p>Half an hour later, she was in her car, an overnight bag in the trunk, to drive the six hours to a small harbor town in Portugal, close to Lisbon. It would be a long drive, but she knew the thrill of the chase would keep her going. On her way out of Madrid, she made one stop: at a shelter for victims of domestic abuse. She walked inside and put the box of money on the front desk, walking out again without giving a name, not even waiting for them to open the box and find out what was inside. Then she was on her way again. When she got to the village outside of Lisbon, late in the evening, the office of the delivery service was already closed, so she booked into a hotel and went to the office first thing in the morning to confirm that the package had indeed been dropped off there.</p><p>The clerk looked at the registration number she’d written down and shook his head.</p><p>“No, this wasn’t dropped off here.” He typed something into his computer. “It arrived here through the mail, with instructions for further delivery.”</p><p>She nodded. Just as she’d suspected: they had been careful. Still, the box must have originated <em>somewhere. </em>She called the post office, but they told her all postal information was protected by privacy laws, and she would have to go to a post office with a warrant if she wanted that information. So she drove down to the local police station first, put on her most charming smile and went in to try and persuade her Portuguese colleagues to give her a warrant.</p><p>“Good morning”, she said in Portuguese to the officer behind the front desk, flashing her badge. “I am Inspector Elena González of the Madrid police. I’m here on an investigation, and I’d like to request your help.”</p><p>The young woman behind the desk looked up, and her eyes went wide.</p><p>“Are you… are you <em>the </em>Inspector González?”</p><p>Elena frowned – what was that supposed to mean?</p><p>“Yes?”</p><p>“But I’ve seen you on the news! You were involved in that massive heist at the Mint! You were caught by the robbers and kept as a prisoner for six days!”</p><p>“Yes”, Elena said drily. “I know all of that. Now what I wanted to ask…”</p><p>But the officer wasn’t listening – she got up and yelled to the rest of the station:</p><p>“Guys! Guys, come and see who’s here!”</p><p>A minute later, to her utter confusion, Elena was surrounded by wide-eyed police officers bombarding her with questions.</p><p>“Were you really with those robbers for six days?”</p><p>“Well… yes.”</p><p>“And you <em>survived?”</em></p><p>“Clearly.”</p><p>“Did they torture you?”</p><p>She snorted. “No.”</p><p>“What was the Professor like?”</p><p>“Not nearly as impressive as you’d think.”</p><p>The questions went on, the officers leaving her no room to say what she was actually there for. Just when she’d had about enough, the Captain of the precinct came out of his office.</p><p>“What’s all this?”</p><p>“Inspector Elena González is here, Captain! From Madrid!”</p><p>He frowned. “That’s no reason to cause such a ruckus. Go back to your stations, <em>now</em>.”</p><p>The officers dispersed, and the Captain waved a relieved Elena into his office and motioned for her to sit down.</p><p>“Thank you”, she said.</p><p>“You’ll have to excuse them”, the Captain said apologetically. “This is a very quiet village. You walking in here is the most exciting thing that’s happened to them all year.”</p><p>“It’s alright.”</p><p>“What can I help you with?”</p><p>“I’m tracing the robbers – it looks like they might have left Europe from this village.”</p><p>His eyebrows shot up. “Really? That’s interesting.”</p><p>“To be sure, I need information about a package from the post office. And for that…”</p><p>“You need a warrant.”</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>“Why didn’t you just call your superiors in Madrid?”</p><p>She hesitated. “Well, I’m… not <em>technically </em>supposed to be working right now.”</p><p>“Ah”, he said. “You were placed on leave because of what you went through.”</p><p>She nodded. “I’m resting.”</p><p>He chuckled. “I see that.”</p><p>“So will you help me?”</p><p>He gave her a long, considering look, then said:</p><p>“Well… I shouldn’t give you a warrant while you’re on leave… but maybe I don’t <em>know </em>you’re on leave. Maybe you haven’t told me.”</p><p>“Maybe I haven’t”, she agreed.</p><p>“Then I think I can accommodate you”, he said. “<em>If</em> I can ask you a question.”</p><p>“Of course.”</p><p>He glanced towards the door, then leaned forward and said: “What was it like when you were captured?”</p><p>She suppressed a smile and started talking.</p><p>…</p><p>An hour later, she was finally at the post office, her warrant safely in her pocket. When she asked about the package, however, the employee behind the desk informed her that it hadn’t been dropped off there, but that it had been brought to a post office in a village on the other side of Lisbon by a delivery service. She swore, got back into her car, and drove to the other village, where she got the name of the delivery service. When she called them, they told her the box had arrived by mail, with instructions. And so it went on: the box had gone back and forth between delivery services and the postal system, which was very clever, because it meant the tracking number of the package changed continually and couldn’t be traced all the way back to its source. And for every new tracking number, she had to show up at the post office with her warrant.</p><p>Over the next three days, the trail led her all over Portugal, along scenic routes along the coast and through mountains, leading her from one tiny village to the next, each seemingly more picturesque than the last. At first she was frustrated – this infinite rerouting had ‘Sergio’ written all over it – but she realized that he was counting on her giving up at some point, and she decided that that was not going to happen. So she patiently settled into the chase and after a while she actually started enjoying herself. She stopped for lunch on cobbled village squares and dinner at seaside restaurants, watching the sun set spectacularly into the ocean. She regularly got out of the car to stretch her legs, going for short walks along the mountainsides or the beach, talking to the people she met on the way. The weather was very nice for the fall, and she got more sunshine than she usually got in a year. Madrid seemed very far away.</p><p>Finally, it was the last day before she had to return to her job, and she started worrying that she might not reach the end of the trail on time. <em>How </em>many post offices had this box gone through? She arrived around noon in yet another quiet village, lying on one of the nicest beaches she’d ever seen. She got out of her car and a mild sea breeze caught her hair, and for just one fleeting moment, she considered not going straight to the post office, but to take off her shoes and walk along the azure water and get some ice cream. Then she shook herself – being away from her job for this long clearly wasn’t good for her – and stepped into the cool shade of the post office.</p><p>“Inspector González”, she said to the young clerk, flashing her warrant, as she’d done at a dozen post offices before. “We spoke on the phone. I need to trace a package with this number.”</p><p>The clerk typed it into the computer, then he said: “That package was dropped off here, a week ago.”</p><p>She felt a stab of excitement. Had she finally found the place? Had they left Europe from this harbor? Her thoughts started racing, but then the young clerk said:</p><p>“You said your name was González, right?”</p><p>“Right.”</p><p>“Elena González?”</p><p>She frowned. “Yes.”</p><p>He held out an envelope to her. It had her name on the front.</p><p>“This was dropped off here together with the box. He said someone would come by and pick it up in about a week.”</p><p>“Who said?” she asked sharply. <em>Sergio?</em></p><p>“A man full of tattoos, with a heavy Eastern European accent.”</p><p>“With a beard?” she said, thinking of Oslo and Helsinki.</p><p>“No.”</p><p>She felt the excitement leave her. Not someone from the gang, then – a hireling, untraceable. If they’d been <em>that </em>careful, it seemed unlikely that they’d led her to the village their ship had left from. Who knew where that hireling had come from with that box? She hesitated for a moment, then accepted the envelope and walked outside. She sat down on a bench in the sun and opened the envelope.</p><p>
  <em>Hi Elena. No, we didn’t leave from this village, but we hope you enjoyed your trip – we tried to pick out the nicest routes and villages. Portugal is lovely, isn’t it? Apologies for giving you the runaround, but we felt like you deserved a bit of a holiday. Now hopefully you’ll feel rested and ready to come after us. We expect you to give it your best shot. Good luck!</em>
</p><p>She stared down at the paper for a while, not sure how to feel. She considered getting angry, but then she started laughing instead, and she couldn’t stop for a long time. Yes – she had a feeling that chasing Raquel and Sergio was going to be an… <em>interesting</em> experience.</p><p>She glanced at the post office down the street, wondering if she should go question the clerk further – but then her eyes were drawn to the beach and the wonderfully blue water of the ocean, and she hesitated. It was a lovely day. She still had a few hours left before she had to drive back to Madrid. She got up, took a deep breath, and smiled. She might as well get some ice cream.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
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<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Epilogue 2: Palawan</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>My lovely readers, my dear friends. I’m feeling very emotional as I write this :’) This story has been such a huge part of my life ever since I started writing Personal Relationships in November, and I can’t believe it’s over… </p><p>On the one hand, I’m so glad I managed to finish it. I struggled so much with CR in the first half that I almost gave up several times. That I got past that difficult part is only thanks to the unwavering support and help of the best beta reader in the world, and my best friend, thegirloverseas. She was always there for me, to cheer me up, encourage me, and discuss plot points, often well into the night. Her generosity, insightfulness and supportiveness are off the charts, and I’m not exaggerating when I say I could not have done this without her. I can’t believe I was lucky enough to be blessed with such an amazing friend, and I am so grateful ❤</p><p>On the other hand, writing this story has been an amazing experience. It was incredibly challenging, but I feel like I’ve grown as a writer – CR contains my first attempt at developing something of a plot, and my first ever OC. I want to thank everyone who was enthusiastic about Elena in the comments – I can’t possibly tell you how happy that made me!</p><p>That said, I want to thank every single one of you. Thank you for giving this story a chance, and thank you for sticking with it to the end! Thank you for your faith in me! And thank you SO MUCH for all your support! I was blown away by your enthusiasm for this story and it helped me to write on when things got hard ❤</p><p>Thank you to everyone who’s left kudos! Believe me: every single kudos is appreciated!</p><p>An especially heartfelt thank you to everyone who has commented! Writing is a (largely) lonely business, and the best gift you can give a writer is to share your thoughts, long or short! If you haven’t left a comment yet but would like to: it’s not too late! 😊 Now that the story is over, I would love to hear your final thoughts! If you're too shy to leave a public comment here, feel free to DM me on Twitter :)</p><p>One last shout-out to the wonderful Loreak, who so generously helped me out in the middle of the night when I was having an existential crisis about this epilogue 😂 Thank you, my friend! I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it! ❤</p><p>Even though this story is over, it isn’t the end of me writing Serquel! I will probably return to my old fic Tell Me What You Love for a few chapters. If, after reading the epilogue, you want to see Serquel living together in Palawan, go check out Tell Me What You Love! :) After that, I have several new AU ideas, but they need a bit more time to ripen :)</p><p>While writing the first half of Calculated Risks, I never thought I’d say this, but: letting go of this story is hard. I’ve poured my heart into it, and it’s not easy to say goodbye. Thank you so much for taking this journey with me, and for all of your support along the way! I love you all ❤❤❤</p><p>Enjoy the epilogue!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p> </p><p>Arriving on the island – <em>their </em>island – felt like a dream. The water was bluer, the sand whiter, the sky brighter than anything he’d imagined, but that wasn’t the best part – the best part was that he was here with <em>her</em>, it was taking her hand and looking out over the water, it was waking up next to her and knowing they were here… they were together… they were safe. They chose a hotel to stay in, and Paula and Marivi spent their days at the hotel pool while Sergio and Raquel drove around the island to look for a house. They wanted a place that was quiet and private and by the ocean, because Paula liked the beach and Sergio enjoyed the sound of the waves. After a week of searching and not finding any suitable houses, Sergio was starting to feel frustrated, so Raquel suggested they take the afternoon off and just enjoy the island. They turned off the main road onto a much smaller road that dove straight into the jungle. The sun was coming out after a spell of rain, and for a while, they drove along in silence, windows open, as mist began to rise from the forest floor and bird calls echoed through the trees all around them. The air was sweet with the smell of wet earth, and Sergio found himself breathing in deeply.</p><p>They reached a quiet village by the sea, children and dogs playing in the street, little stalls at the side of the road selling fruit and flowers and food that smelled amazing.</p><p>“This is such a nice place”, Raquel said. “Let’s get out and take a walk.”</p><p>Sergio was hesitant to try food from the street vendors, but Raquel persuaded him and, after tasting it, he was glad she did. They took their lunch out to the beach, where they sat down on the trunk of a fallen palm tree and ate companionably side by side, their shoulders and knees touching. Sergio constantly had to remind himself that this was real, this was happening – he’d never lived like this, so freely, so casually, without rules or restrictions, doing whatever he liked just because he felt like it. He caught Raquel’s eye and she smiled at him, then leaned in for a kiss.</p><p>“What are you thinking?” she asked him.</p><p>He shook his head. “That I’m not used to this.”</p><p>“To what?”</p><p>“Well…” he gestured at their surroundings. “This.”</p><p>“Going on holiday?”</p><p>“Yes”, he said. “I’ve traveled a bit, but I was always working. I’ve never actually gone on… holiday.”</p><p>“Better get used to it”, she smiled. “This is what the rest of your life will look like.”</p><p>“Yes”, he mused. “Yes, I suppose. It’s difficult to believe.”</p><p>“It must be strange”, she said softly. “To work on the plan for the heist for twenty years, and then suddenly, it’s all over and done.”</p><p>He nodded. “Very strange.” He took her hand and gazed at her earnestly. “If it hadn’t been for you, I don’t know what I would have done with myself. I’m so grateful you’re here.”</p><p>She gave him a soft smile. “Me too.”</p><p>There was so much more that he wanted to say – that he could sense the gaping emptiness life would have been without her – that their little family was giving him a wonderful new purpose – that, after the heist, after his brother’s death, she was the anchor that was keeping him steady. But he didn’t know how to put that into words, so he carefully brushed a lock of hair away from her face and kissed her, confident that, even without words, she knew.</p><p>They got up and started walking along the water, leaving the village behind until all they could hear was the rustling of the palm trees and the gentle rhythm of the waves on the sand. After about fifteen minutes, though, he started shooting worried looks at her.</p><p>“Let’s turn back.”</p><p>“I’m fine, darling.”</p><p>“You shouldn’t overexert yourself yet.”</p><p>“It’s been a month, I’m so much better.”</p><p>“You’re still in pain, though.”</p><p>Her wound was healing well, all things considered, but it took time for muscles and nerves to regenerate. On the journey here, he’d taken care of her shoulder three times a day, but once they’d arrived on the island, that hadn’t been necessary anymore. She had limited use of her arm again, but she still had to be careful, she still had to take pain killers sometimes, and it would still be a while before she regained the full range of motion for that shoulder – if she ever did. He still felt a stab of guilt whenever he thought about it, and he desperately wanted to protect her from any further harm.</p><p>“You have to be careful, you’re not fully healed yet.”</p><p>“Healed enough to take a little walk.”</p><p>“Please, Raquel”, he said quietly. “I don’t want you to hurt yourself.”</p><p>She stopped and gave him a soft look. “I’m fine, I promise.”</p><p>“You don’t know how tired you’ll feel by the time we get back though.”</p><p>“Just a little further?” she wheedled. “Just around the next bend?”</p><p>He hesitated, then nodded. “Alright. I suppose if you get too tired I could always carry you back to the car.”</p><p>Her eyes sparkled as she wrapped her arms around his neck. “Hmm… maybe I <em>do </em>feel a little tired.”</p><p>He chuckled. “Why don’t I believe you?”</p><p>She looked up at him with a dreamy look in her eyes. “I just have very fond memories of you carrying me. Remember the time when I sprained my ankle and you carried me home in the rain?”</p><p>“Of course”, he said softly. “It was the first time I got to hold you.”</p><p>“Who would have thought back then that we would end up here?”</p><p>“I certainly didn’t”, he said, looking down at her. “But I’ve never been more happy to be wrong.”</p><p>She smiled and stoop up on tiptoe to kiss him, and he carefully – still so carefully – wrapped his arms around her and kissed her back. Then they continued along the beach. When they walked around a clump of bushes, they suddenly saw a house, half-hidden among the trees, a ‘for sale’ sign at the window. They looked at each other, excited, and went closer to take a look: it was a large, low house, with a thatched roof and lots of wood and open spaces. When they turned around, the bay stretched out in front of them, the ocean only a few paces away, the water an inviting shade of blue, and large green islands on the horizon. Raquel took his hand and squeezed it.</p><p>“I think this is it.”</p><p>“Yes”, he said. “This is it.”</p><p>They moved in three days later.</p><p>…</p><p>Sergio had expressly forbidden Raquel from lifting anything, so she directed the movers and decided where she wanted the furniture – it didn’t matter that much to him – while he walked in and out of the house with boxes. He was still having trouble grasping – <em>really </em>grasping – that they were starting their life together as a family, exactly the way they’d dreamed it would be. Looking back over the past month, everything since they’d left that hangar seemed a bit of a blur to him: moving from one ship to the next, traveling over land for a while, going from hotel to hotel to make their trail as hard to follow as possible, then on to another ship. It had been chaotic and exhausting, and only now that they were moving into their house did he feel like things were finally settling down. Life after the heist was taking shape. As he carried in box after box, his thoughts drifted back to the gang, and he wondered how they were settling into their new lives.</p><p>
  <em>Saying goodbye to the others was harder than he expected. They spent one last night together in Casablanca before splitting up and going their separate ways, and he hadn’t realized how much he had come to regard them all as family until he was faced with the prospect of never seeing them again. At the end of the night, there were many tearful goodbyes, hugs, last conversations. Nairobi called for Sergio to give a speech, like he’d done the night before the heist, but he couldn’t – the thought of losing this little family so soon after having lost his brother made him unable to speak. So they’d hugged him, one by one, saying words of farewell and thanks – bear hugs from Oslo and Helsinki, off to Argentina – then Denver, Moscow and Monica, ready to start a family in Indonesia – Tokyo and Rio, seemingly closer than before, going to an island paradise of their own in Panama. The last person to say goodbye to them was Nairobi, who would be going with Oslo and Helsinki. She spent a while in quiet conversation with Raquel, and he felt desperately sad as he watched the women give each other a long, warm hug. Then Nairobi walked up to him, and he swallowed hard.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Nairobi… thank you. For… for everything.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She grinned. “You’re welcome, Profe. Don’t screw things up with her now that I’ll no longer be around to save your ass, okay?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I won’t”, he assured her seriously. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tight, and after a moment’s hesitation, he carefully hugged her back. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Good luck with the next step”, she whispered, then released him. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“What… what next step?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She laughed and patted his cheek. “I think it’s time you figure things out for yourself. Goodbye, Profe.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>His throat was tight. “Goodbye, Nairobi.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>There was a last round of goodbyes, then he’d taken Raquel’s hand and watched them all walk into the night. It felt very strange to hope that he would never see them again.</em>
</p><p>He was snapped back to the present as Paula ran up to him, breathless with excitement.</p><p>“There’s a <em>lizard </em>in my room!”</p><p>“Oh”, Sergio said. “Is it a big lizard?”</p><p>“No, a tiny one. He’s on the ceiling!”</p><p>“Do you want me to come and chase him out?”</p><p>“No, I want to keep him! His name is Pablo.”</p><p>Sergio couldn’t help but laugh as he watched Paula race off to tell her grandmother about Pablo. He’d never been around kids before, and he hadn’t been sure he liked them, but Paula was… well, she was a wonderful child. Her curiosity, her enthusiasm, the sense of wonder with which she approached the world… it amazed him, and though he felt that it would take some more time before he felt completely comfortable around her, he genuinely liked having her around.</p><p>The next moment, Raquel walked by him, carrying a small box, and he hurried after her.</p><p>“Raquel, we said you wouldn’t do any of the moving!”</p><p>“I can use <em>this </em>arm.”</p><p>“You’re supposed to <em>rest</em>.”</p><p>“It barely weighs anything.”</p><p>“That doesn’t matter”, he grumbled, putting down his own box and taking hers from her. “If you want something moved, you ask <em>me. </em>Where do you want this?”</p><p>He kept a close eye on her for the rest of the afternoon, regularly intervening when she tried to carry things, insisting she sit down when it looked like she was getting tired. He just <em>wished </em>she would rest more, he <em>wished </em>she would let him take care of things more. Watching her direct the movers, picking up things here and there, he was so scared she would hurt herself. It would take at least another month before her shoulder would be fully healed – he wished he could wrap her in bubble wrap and keep her safe.</p><p>Finally, the truck was empty and the movers were ready to go. He went out with them to pay them, and they shook his hand.</p><p>“This is a nice place”, one of them said appreciatively.</p><p>“And you have a really lovely wife”, the other one added.</p><p>He felt a warm glow of pride as he smiled to himself. His wife. He liked that.</p><p>He returned inside to find Marivi and Raquel unpacking boxes.</p><p>“I’m only using my right hand!” Raquel said quickly as she saw him come in.</p><p>“Alright”, he said. “But tell me if you get too tired.”</p><p>“Don’t worry”, Marivi chuckled, patting his arm. “I’m keeping an eye on her.”</p><p>“She just doesn’t know when to stop.”</p><p>“She’s always been like that”, Marivi smiled. “Ever since she was a child.”</p><p>“Will you two stop?” Raquel said, amused.</p><p>“If you refuse to take care of yourself, we have to do it for you”, he said.</p><p>She laughed. “I’m not <em>dying.</em>”</p><p>A memory flashed across Sergio’s mind, of kneeling in a pool of her blood, pressing a soaked shirt to her chest.  <em>Hold on, my love. Hold on. </em></p><p>Raquel looked up at him and her smile disappeared.</p><p>“It’s alright”, she said gently, reaching up to touch his cheek. “It’s alright.”</p><p>“I think I’ll go get something to drink”, Marivi said, tactfully retreating to the kitchen.</p><p>He opened his arms to Raquel and she walked into them, tilting up her face to press a kiss against his cheek.</p><p>“I’m okay, Sergio.”</p><p>He nodded. “Just let me hold you for a bit.”</p><p>She leaned against his chest and he kissed the top of her head and breathed her in. So close, he’d come so close to losing her… The thought of it still made it hard to breathe, and he hugged her tighter without thinking, but then a small gasp from her made him let go immediately.</p><p>“I’m so sorry!”</p><p>“It’s nothing”, she smiled reassuringly. “Just a twinge.”</p><p>“I’ll be more careful next time”, he said contritely.</p><p>She pressed a soft kiss to his lips, then turned back to the box she was unpacking, putting several empty picture frames on a cabinet.</p><p>“Why did you buy picture frames?” he asked. “We don’t have any pictures.”</p><p>“Not yet”, she smiled. “But we’ll make some soon. I want a nice family picture of us.”</p><p>He smiled. “That sounds good.”</p><p>She looked up at him, hesitating. “You know… if you want, we can put up a picture of your brother as well.”</p><p>He looked at her in surprise, then nodded. “Yes. I’d like that.”</p><p>Paula’s voice suddenly sounded from outside, calling for her mother, and Raquel walked out to check on her, leaving Sergio to gaze thoughtfully at the empty picture frames. A picture of his brother. That was so thoughtful of Raquel – but of course, that shouldn’t surprise him.</p><p>
  <em>I love you, little brother. Don’t you forget it.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Andrés!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He woke up with a start and sat up, shaking, panting, his heart racing frantically. The semi-darkness around him disoriented him – he didn’t recognize anything – but then there was a soft hand on his arm and a familiar voice in his ear. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“It’s alright, my love. It’s alright.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Raquel?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She was stroking his back. “Yes, I’m here.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>His hands were still shaking as he rubbed them over his face. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I… I couldn’t help him, Raquel. I couldn’t help him.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“It was just a dream”, she murmured. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“It… it wasn’t though”, he said, swallowing hard as the terrible realization hit him all over again. “It really happened… he’s really gone.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>To his embarrassment, tears started sliding down his face and he could do nothing to stop them. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“He’s gone, Raquel. He’s gone.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I know”, she whispered, wrapping her arm around him and shifting closer. “I know.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He turned towards her and buried his face against her unhurt shoulder, and she held him as he cried, while the boat rocked them gently. When his tears finally dried up, he wiped his face and glanced at Paula, who was sleeping in the bunk on the other side of the cabin. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Did… did I wake her?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“No, don’t worry”, she smiled. “She’s always been a sound sleeper.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She lay back down into the pillows and pulled him down too, so they lay close together. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Tell me about him”, she said softly. “Tell me about your brother.”</em>
</p><p>That had been the first of many nightmares and many midnight conversations as they slowly made their way across the world, and she was always so gentle with him – so patient, so kind, even when he woke her up night after night. He turned to see her walk back into the house with Paula by the hand, talking enthusiastically about seashells. She looked up and smiled at him as she crossed to the kitchen, and he smiled back. <em>You have a really lovely wife. </em>He really did, didn’t he? Though, he realized, <em>technically</em> she wasn’t his wife. He suddenly heard Nairobi again: <em>Good luck with the next step, </em>and all of a sudden something <em>clicked </em>in his brain. Oh! Of course, <em>of course</em>… that’s what she’d meant.</p><p>He shook his head in amazement – how had he not thought of that before? They were going to spend the rest of their lives together, weren’t they? And yet, maybe it wasn’t so surprising that it hadn’t occurred to him. He’d watched his brother get married six times, and he’d attended all of those weddings, but he never, not once, had thought that one day it might happen to him. It was simply inconceivable to him, that he could meet someone he’d want to share his entire life with. He’d listened to the wedding vows, and he hadn’t understood. He’d never understood how someone could want to commit to another person in that way, promising to love them forever. How could they know, how could they be <em>sure</em>? But he was sure now – more sure than he’d ever been of anything in his life. <em>You have a lovely wife. </em>It wasn’t true, not <em>entirely. </em>He wanted to make it true.</p><p>…</p><p>That evening, Paula slept in her own room for the first time. All throughout their journey, on the various boats and in the various hotel rooms, she’d always slept in the room with them, unwilling to sleep apart from Raquel. Sergio had understood – after six months of thinking her mother was gone forever, of course the child wanted to stay close to her now, and he suspected that Raquel didn’t want to be apart from Paula either. Nevertheless, he was glad when Raquel said that Paula should sleep in her own room from now on – he’d missed their privacy. Thankfully, the girl seemed happy to comply, chattering on about Pablo, who seemed to be a permanent resident in the room.</p><p>Marivi decided to go to bed right after Paula, leaving Raquel and Sergio talking on the porch as the sun disappeared below the horizon and the first stars came out. Once they were alone, she came to sit on his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck.</p><p>“Maybe we should go to bed too”, she suggested with a smile.</p><p>“Yes”, he nodded. “It’s been a busy day, you must be tired.”</p><p>She leaned in to nuzzle his ear. “No, I’m not that tired.”</p><p>“Then why do you want to go to bed?”</p><p>She laughed. “I know it’s been a while, but please don’t tell me you’ve forgotten what other things you can do in a bedroom.”</p><p>He frowned. “Raquel… no, that’s not a good idea.”</p><p>She nuzzled his ear again, and he felt a sudden stab of longing.</p><p>“Why not?”</p><p>“You’re still recovering, we have to be careful.”</p><p>“Then we’ll be careful.”</p><p>“Raquel, I… I’m afraid I’d hurt you.”</p><p>“You wouldn’t hurt me.”</p><p>“I hurt you before when we were just hugging!”</p><p>She chuckled. “Then don’t squeeze me this time.”</p><p>She started kissing his neck, and his longing for her intensified to such a pitch that he had to push her away.</p><p>“Please… please don’t.”</p><p>She sat up with a sad look and murmured: “But don’t you miss it?”</p><p>He gave her an anguished look in return. Did he <em>miss </em>it? Could that word even remotely capture what he was feeling? Could it ever cover the depth of the longing he felt, for that closeness with her, that intimacy, that breathless ecstasy… After a month of sleeping in pajamas and barely touching her, he was <em>aching </em>with the need to feel her skin, to cover her with kisses, to lose himself completely in the wonder of her<em>. </em>Did he <em>miss </em>it?</p><p>“Desperately”, he whispered.</p><p>She immediately leaned in to kiss him, eagerly, hungrily. “Then let’s go to the bedroom.”</p><p>But he steeled himself, and she made a small sound of frustration as he pushed her away again. “Sergio, I’m fine!”</p><p>“You’re not”, he said seriously. “You won’t be fine for another month at least.”</p><p>“I’m fine enough for <em>this</em>! We can be careful, we can find a way to make it work…”</p><p>“Raquel”, he said quietly, and the look he gave her made her pause. “You got hurt because of me. I hurt you so badly – I can’t bear the thought of hurting you again.”</p><p>She put a hand against his cheek. “You didn’t hurt me, though.”</p><p>He shook his head. “I did.”</p><p>“Sergio”, she said gently. “It’s been a month. You have to forgive yourself for what happened.”</p><p>He looked at her, then slowly slid the strap of her top off her left shoulder so the fabric slipped down below her collarbone and revealed the scar there, still healing, still an angry red. It would turn white eventually, but it would never fade away, and his throat felt tight as he traced a careful finger over it. The history of his failings, forever written on her skin.</p><p>“This is where I failed you”, he whispered.</p><p>She took his hand and moved his fingers to the crook of her elbow, where the tiny mark of a needle was still just visible.</p><p>“And this is where you saved me.”</p><p>“You wouldn’t have needed saving if…”</p><p>She put her hand on his chest and looked into his eyes, and he fell quiet.</p><p>“That wasn’t the first time you saved me, you know”, she said softly. “The first time you saved me, I was in the back of a dark van, in handcuffs, on my way to several years in prison. I was scared and angry and desperate, but you found me and you gave me a chance to fight, because you believed in me. You gave me a new life. That was the first time you saved me.”</p><p>He remained silent, listening.</p><p>“The second time you saved me, you probably didn’t even realize it. We’d been in the house for several weeks and nobody would talk to me. I’d lost everything I’d ever known and I felt completely alone in the world. I was having nightmare after nightmare, and I was… I was at the edge of what I could bear. But then there you were. You were kind to me, you comforted me, you gave me your name. You probably don’t remember it, but… you told me I wasn’t alone. That’s the second time you saved me.”</p><p>He swallowed. He remembered that night, of course he remembered it, he remembered it so clearly. She smiled at him, a warm, soft smile.</p><p>“After that, I lost count. All summer long, you saved me over and over again. I was so lost, my love. I was…” her voice shook, but she recovered herself, “… I was so broken. But with every kindness from you, with every touch, with every look, you saved me from loneliness, you saved me from despair. Then when we finally really found each other, when you finally took me in your arms and told me you loved me, you saved me from heartache and pain and so many bad memories.”</p><p>She looked around at their house, at the beach, the ocean.</p><p>“Everything I have today, this wonderful life, my family,… you made that happen. What is one mistake compared to that? I grant you that mistake, Sergio. People make mistakes. I accept it, and I don’t love you any less for it. I have no regrets. I wouldn’t change a single thing if I could.”</p><p>She touched her scar with light fingers.</p><p>“If this is the price I had to pay, I pay it willingly, I pay it <em>gladly</em>, and I’d pay it all over again. I forgive you, and now you have to forgive yourself, because the impact you’ve had on my life is <em>overwhelmingly </em>more positive than negative. You can’t keep feeling guilty, I won’t have it. Okay?”</p><p>He looked into her eyes and saw nothing but love there. His throat was so tight he couldn’t speak, but he nodded, and she gave him a sweet smile and pressed her lips softly against his.</p><p>“Now please take me to bed”, she whispered.</p><p>“Are you sure?”</p><p>“Yes”, she said, giving him an appealing look. “Sergio, maybe you can wait another month, but I can’t, I <em>can’t</em>.”</p><p>He knew what she meant. The heist and its consequences, and then traveling here with her family, had created a frustrating distance between them in many ways, and he was as eager as she was to bridge that gap again.</p><p>“Please”, she repeated softly. “I so want to be close to you again.”</p><p>How could he resist her? He’d never had the strength. Ever so carefully, he gathered her in his arms and she sighed happily and wrapped her arms around his neck as he carried her into the bedroom. He pushed aside the thin white curtains around their bed and gently put her down on the mattress, then joined her. He propped himself up on an elbow and looked down at her, illuminated by the moonlight streaming in through the window: her hair fanned out over the pillow, her eyes dark and warm as she looked up at him. After not having had any real intimacy for so long, this felt like a very significant moment, and he suddenly felt a little nervous. Would it be different now, would it be awkward? He remembered how in sync they’d been in the house in Toledo, before it all happened, and as he felt the difference now, he wondered if it would take time to get there again.</p><p>The time before the operation… it seemed like a lifetime ago. They had lived through so much since then – the events of the heist testing their relationship over and over again, leaving them scarred in so many ways. Would they still be the same as they had been before? He loved her more than ever, but he couldn’t deny that the heist had unbalanced them. In their warm bubble in Toledo, they had fit together so seamlessly, sharing a deep, wordless connection which had seemed entirely unshakeable – but it had been shaken nonetheless, and due to the circumstances of the past month, they hadn’t been able to try and see if they could reclaim it. Now that things had settled down, now that they had some real time alone together for the first time since the heist, he wondered what they’d find.</p><p>So he bent his head and brushed his lips against hers, tentatively, testing, trying to feel out that closeness between them, which had always been there before and which he felt most clearly whenever they made love. Kissing her felt like a good start – how he loved kissing her – he would never get tired of it. He kissed her slowly, sweetly, taking his time – they had time, they had all night, and he wanted to do it right. Of course they’d kissed in the past month, even if they hadn’t been able to do anything else, but not like this: tasting, exploring, discovering each other all over again. After so long, he was more aware of her than he’d ever been, and when they deepened the kiss, he felt himself come into the moment as she swept him away. Had he ever fully realized before how soft her lips were? Had he ever really noticed just how sweet she tasted? She was his only reality as they sank into kiss after kiss after kiss, slowly attuning themselves to each other again.</p><p>They lost themselves for minutes on end in these kisses, and gradually the rest of the world fell away, until they were only aware of each other. They undressed each other, unhurriedly, and with every item of clothing that dropped to the floor, they were removing the layers of themselves they used to navigate the outside world: for him, it was the Professor, cold and calculating – for her, the responsibilities she had for her family. In the intimacy of their bedroom, they revealed themselves, only to each other, in all their vulnerability, and when they lay down together, skin against skin, they were just <em>them</em>, open and uncomplicated and truly together.</p><p>In the moonlit darkness, they touched each other with gentle hands, remembering the way over muscles and soft skin. He was so careful with her, so sweet, and with every kiss, with every touch, their relationship was further reduced to its essence, pure and simple and beautiful. Physical nearness turned into a deeper closeness which left no room for guilt or regret – there was only acceptance and love, all the emotions generated by the conscious mind making way for the emotions of the heart. The divide between them faded away as they offered up their truest selves to each other, only to be met with tender recognition – <em>you, I know you. There you are.</em></p><p>Completely wrapped up in each other, free from distractions and external pressures, they were able to feel their way beyond the turbulence at the surface of their lives, and as their bodies came together in tenderness and joy, they discovered that the connection between them was even stronger than before, crystallized by everything they’d been through, like a diamond formed under extreme pressure. As they moved together in easy synchronicity, their bodies fitting together perfectly, they felt it in every heartbeat. They were united in this moment, the barriers between them falling away one by one until nothing separated them anymore, until he felt completely in tune with her, sure that he was feeling what she was feeling, her pleasure adding to his, amplifying every sensation, every emotion, taking him closer and closer to the edge. When they finally fell, they fell together, joyfully, and for one breathless moment they were no longer two people but beautifully, gloriously, one.</p><p>Afterwards, they stayed close together, holding each other tight. They were separated again, but only by their skin – the distance between them had vanished completely, their connection intimate and golden and stronger than ever.</p><p>“Oh”, she whispered, pressing her forehead against his, “I’ve missed this, I’ve missed this so much.”</p><p>He could only nod, too overcome to speak. What he shared with her was beyond words.</p><p>They lay together in silence, just enjoying each other’s company, and he slowly felt things return to normal – though <em>normal </em>with her was still extraordinary. After a while, she turned to him and said softly:</p><p>“Do you remember the night we had that date during the heist?”</p><p>“Of course.”</p><p>“You pulled the sheet over our heads and said we could be anywhere we wanted to be…”</p><p>He smiled. “I remember.”</p><p>“And I said I wanted to be in our home, in Palawan.” She lifted her head and smiled at him. “And now we’re here, Sergio. I can’t believe it. We made it.”</p><p>“Yes”, he smiled back. “We made it.”</p><p>Her eyes turned more sober. “There were moments when… when I thought we’d never get here. You and me, I mean. There were moments when I thought that heist would break us.”</p><p>He shook his head. “Never. What we have is too strong for that.”</p><p>“Yes”, she whispered. “There was so much going on that… that sometimes I couldn’t feel it anymore, but you’re right. What we have is…”</p><p>She looked at him, and he nodded. <em>Unbreakable.</em></p><p>She tilted up her face and pressed a tender kiss against his lips, then murmured:</p><p>“I’m so happy to be here with you, my love. I don’t think I could be happier.”</p><p>He looked into her eyes, and as the golden feeling of connection inside him swelled again, a question rose to his lips and he almost asked her then and there… At the last moment, though, he restrained himself and kept it in. He had to do it right, he had to do it properly – she deserved that. So he just kissed her and pulled her close, and she smiled at him and settled back down with her head on his chest.</p><p>Soon, she was asleep in his arms, and he lay looking up at the ceiling, too excited to sleep. How would he ask her? What would she like? It had to be great – it had to be perfect – she deserved no less, because <em>she</em> was perfect. As he looked down at her sleeping face, he was struck by the realization of how completely he loved her, how he loved every part of her. He loved her when she was laughing, he loved her when she cried. He loved her when she was hard and he loved her when she was soft, when she was fierce and when she was loving, when she was angry and when she was teasing, when she was strong and when she was vulnerable. He loved her when she was right and he loved her, much more rarely, when she was wrong. He loved her when she was everything, because she <em>was</em> everything. A woman like that deserved the perfect proposal, and he would try his hardest to make it happen.</p><p>…</p><p>Three weeks later, their little family had settled comfortably into their new life. Paula spent every waking moment on the beach, they had hired a nurse to help them take care of Marivi, Raquel spent her days playing with Paula and researching charities they could donate to, and Sergio watched it all with a sense of wonder. He’d never lived like this, surrounded by a family of his own, and he was surprised by how much he enjoyed it, surprised by the little moments of joy scattered throughout the day, surprised by the laughter. At first, he wasn’t sure how to fill his days – the heist had always occupied most of his time before. However, Raquel invariably seemed to sense when he was beginning to feel a little lost, and then she’d be at his side, saying she wasn’t about to do all the cooking by herself and he’d better start learning, or asking him to teach Paula to play chess, or suggesting a walk along the beach, and he couldn’t be more grateful. So they cooked together, they played games together, they took walks and went swimming and spent hours making love, and he realized that, slowly but surely, she was teaching him how to live.</p><p>In the meantime, he’d been arranging things for the perfect proposal, trying to be as subtle as possible so she wouldn’t start suspecting he was up to something. He drove along the coast looking for the right place, knowing immediately when he found it. He called a few people, arranged a few things, bought a new suit – everything went smoothly. There was only one thing that kept him up at night: he had to find her an engagement ring, and he had no clue how to go about it. He wanted it to be the perfect ring, but he knew he was hopeless when it came to things like that, and what if she didn’t like the one he picked out? Finally he decided that this was too important, and he needed help.</p><p>So one day when Raquel and Paula were out snorkeling, he approached Marivi, who was reading at the table outside.</p><p>“Can I… uhm… can I join you?” he asked, rather nervously.</p><p>She looked up, surprised – they hadn’t spent much time together – but then gave him a warm smile.</p><p>“Of course.”</p><p>He sat down and pushed his glasses up his nose, unsure of how to start.</p><p>“I would like to ask for your help with something.”</p><p>“I’ll gladly help you any way I can.”</p><p>He took a deep breath. “You see, I would like… I would <em>very much </em>like to… to marry Raquel.”</p><p>A radiant smile appeared on the old lady’s face. She leaned forward, took his face between her hands and kissed him twice on each cheek, leaving him red and flustered.</p><p>“Oh”, she said, sitting back and giving him a fond look. “I was hoping you would. This is wonderful news!”</p><p>He gave her a shy smile. “I’m glad you approve.”</p><p>“Of course I do! She’s going to be so pleased.”</p><p>“So you think she’ll say yes?” he said hopefully.</p><p>Marivi smiled at him. “I don’t think you really doubt that, and neither do I. So what do you need my help with?”</p><p>“The ring”, he admitted. “I don’t know how to choose one she’ll like. I don’t even know where to start.”</p><p>“Hmm”, she said thoughtfully. “I think your best choice would be to order some brochures, and then we can look through them together.”</p><p>“That’s a great idea”, he said, relieved. “Thank you.”</p><p>Marivi shook her head and reached out to put her hand on his with a serious look.</p><p>“No, thank <em>you</em>, Sergio. I’ve never seen Raquel this happy.”</p><p>He felt a warm glow. “Really?”</p><p>“Really. Her life hasn’t been easy over the past few years.”</p><p>“I know”, he said soberly.</p><p>“I’m so glad she’s found you. You’re right for her. You’re right for each other.”</p><p>He smiled. “I couldn’t agree more.”</p><p>…</p><p>He opened the car door for her, and as she got out, he couldn’t help but stare. She looked so lovely in the evening light, wearing a new dress and a few touches of makeup, her hair falling in soft waves over her bare shoulders.</p><p>“Sergio, <em>where </em>are we going?” she asked him again, but he just shook his head with a mysterious smile and took her hand to lead her along a path between the trees.</p><p>“You can’t just tell me to dress up and not tell me why”, she said. “What if I’m not dressed right for where we’re going?”</p><p>“Don’t worry”, he said, glancing sideways at her. “You look perfect.”</p><p>He was filled with nervous anticipation as they walked along the path, the ring in his pocket, the things he wanted to say in his head. He’d rehearsed his little speech over and over again – he had to get it just right. Tonight had to be perfect.</p><p>They finally came out of the jungle and she gasped. They had walked out onto a cliff, overlooking a bay with water of the brightest turquoise, little forested islands dotting the bay like emeralds. The sun was low on the horizon, giving everything a warm golden glow, and in front of them was a little table set for two, surrounded by flowers.</p><p>“Sergio”, she said, her eyes wide. “What is this?”</p><p>Her reaction was everything he could have hoped for, and he smiled.</p><p>“I felt like we should celebrate”, he said.</p><p>“Celebrate what?”</p><p>“The end of the heist. Being here. Our new life together.”</p><p>She reached up and kissed him. “That’s so sweet of you. This is such a wonderful spot.”</p><p>They sat down at the table and a waiter came and poured them champagne, then brought them plates of food. She looked at him in wonder.</p><p>“How did you arrange all of this?”</p><p>He shrugged. “Anything is possible if you have enough money.”</p><p>She laughed. “I suppose I still have to get used to that idea.”</p><p>Throughout the meal, he became increasingly nervous, going over his speech in his head over and over again. It was a tropical night, hot and humid, and he was uncomfortable in his suit. Finally she reached out and touched his hand.</p><p>“Are you okay? You seem a little distracted.”</p><p>He gave her a tense smile. “I’m fine, I was just thinking.”</p><p>“Well, you’re missing the most spectacular sunset.”</p><p>He looked out over the bay to see that the setting sun was painting the clouded sky all kinds of colors, from the brightest orange to a deep, flaming scarlet. The effect was quite dramatic. Right on cue, the waiter came to clear their plates, and a violinist appeared next to their table and started to play. She looked at him in surprise.</p><p>“You really went all out, didn’t you?”</p><p>“It’s no less than you deserve”, he murmured.</p><p>He looked at her, his mouth dry. He was so nervous that he wasn’t sure he’d be able to do it right, but the sun was setting and he’d have to do it soon. She frowned at him in concern.</p><p>“Are you sure you’re alright?”</p><p>He rather wished the violinist could have been a little further away from the table, he rather wished the setting sun wasn’t so bright, he rather wished she wasn’t sitting so far away from him. He was sweating in the heat and his head was spinning from the champagne, but it was now or never. He supposed he should kneel, but he’d feel ridiculous, so he just took a deep breath and started.</p><p>“Raquel…”</p><p>A raindrop suddenly fell on the table between them, and Raquel looked up at the sky.</p><p>“Uh oh.”</p><p>He looked up too, to see that big, dark clouds had gathered above them, and he cursed inwardly. Seriously, <em>now? </em>They looked at each other – they’d had some experience with the rainfall by now – then wordlessly got up and started hurrying back towards the car. They’d only taken a few paces when the heavens opened and an absolute downpour came down on them, soaking them instantly.</p><p>“Come on!” Raquel shouted as she started running, and he followed her down the path through the jungle, which had turned slippery with mud. When they finally reached the car, they collapsed in their seats, wet to the skin, covered in mud. Raquel was laughing, but Sergio felt a sinking sense of disappointment. He’d wanted it to be perfect – he’d planned everything into the minutest detail – and now his plans were ruined by the <em>weather.</em></p><p>“Cheer up, darling”, Raquel smiled, leaning over to kiss his cheek. “That’s the risk of a tropical climate. And at least we were done with dinner.”</p><p>After a few minutes, the deluge stopped as suddenly as it had started, and Sergio silently started the car and began the drive home. Now he had to start all over again – find a new place, a new setting, a new plan. He’d have to wait another few weeks at least, and that wasn’t an appealing prospect at all. He sighed. He’d never been an impatient man, but he just couldn’t wait to get a step closer to marrying her.</p><p>…</p><p>When they got home, Sergio answered Marivi’s raised eyebrows with a quick shake of the head, and she nodded and stayed quiet. They both changed out of their wet clothes and took a shower, then Raquel put Paula to bed and the three adults settled out on the porch. The rain had broken the heat of the day, and the air was much more pleasant now that the sun was gone and the first stars appeared. Sergio let his thoughts drift as the women talked, until Marivi announced that she was going to bed.</p><p>“The moon is so bright tonight”, Raquel remarked idly after her mother had gone in. “You can see almost as well as by daylight.”</p><p>He nodded absently. “It will be a full moon tomorrow.”</p><p>She turned to him. “I think I’ll go for a swim.”</p><p>“What?” he said. “Now?”</p><p>“Yes, it’s been such a hot day and it’s still quite warm. Do you want to join me?”</p><p>“No thank you”, he smiled. “I’ve been quite wet enough for one day.”</p><p>She laughed and went inside to change into her bathing suit, dropping a towel on the table as she passed him on her way back. He looked at her retreating back for a moment, then picked up the towel and followed her barefoot onto the beach so he could keep an eye on her in case anything happened. He settled himself against a palm tree, perfectly content to just watch her swim.</p><p>It didn’t take long before she came back out of the water and walked towards him, and his breath caught in his throat. She was a vision in the moonlight, drops of water rolling down her silvery skin, soft shadows emphasizing the curves of her body, her eyes shining.</p><p>“That was amazing”, she said, pushing back her wet hair with a smile.</p><p>She dropped down to the sand and he wrapped her in the towel, then she came to sit between his legs and leaned back against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her, and together they looked out at the sea. The air was fragrant with the smell of the flowering bushes nearby, a fresh breeze rustled the leaves of the palm trees, and the near-full moon was reflected on the ocean. Above them, the velvet sky was covered in stars.</p><p>“Have you ever seen a more perfect night?” she whispered happily, settling more comfortably against him, snug in her towel.</p><p>As he kissed her cheek and gently tightened his arms around her, he felt a serene sense of peace settle over him. He wondered about it, this deep, warm feeling he always experienced when he was holding her, this feeling of things being exactly <em>right. </em>Having her in his arms, just the two of them alone on this beach, on this beautiful night… well, it was just perfect. He suddenly realized that he never wanted to let this feeling go – he never wanted to let <em>her </em>go. Ever.</p><p>So he bent his head and whispered in her ear:</p><p>“Raquel… will you marry me?”</p><p>She turned her head and looked at him in wonder, then the most beautiful smile appeared on her face.</p><p>“You want to marry me?”</p><p>“More than anything. Do <em>you</em> want to marry <em>me</em>?”</p><p>“Yes”, she said, her eyes radiant. “Yes, Sergio, yes!”</p><p>He laughed, a blaze of happiness kindling in his chest as he pulled her in for a kiss. She turned around, threw her arms around his neck and kissed him so enthusiastically that they fell back into the sand together, her body on top of his, and he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her and kissed her and kissed her. He felt giddy with joy, a bright, sparkling flood of it, suffusing every part of his body.</p><p>“Are we really getting married?” she said, looking down at him, slightly breathless.</p><p>“As soon as possible, as far as I’m concerned.”</p><p>She laughed and shook her head, and he frowned.</p><p>“You seem surprised.”</p><p>“I didn’t think you’d ask me.”</p><p>“Why not?”</p><p>“I wasn’t sure if you’d want to…”</p><p>He sat up so they were face to face.</p><p>“If I’d want to what?” he asked quietly. “Commit to you? Spend my life with you? Promise to love you forever? Really, Raquel? After all we’ve been through?”</p><p>She gave him a soft look. “You really think you’ll love me forever?”</p><p>He looked into her eyes, serious. “Raquel, I can’t promise that I’ll be a perfect husband. I can’t promise that I’ll always be the man you deserve.” He gently touched her scar. “I can’t promise that I’ll never hurt you. But I can promise you that I’ll love you with all of myself, for as long as you’ll let me. I never thought I’d know a love like this, and I know – I <em>know</em> – that I couldn’t feel it for anyone but you. The world is so big, Raquel, and yet I found you. I’d be a fool to ever let you go again.”</p><p>The way she was looking at him made his throat feel tight as he continued softly:</p><p>“You deserve more than I could ever give you… but everything I have is yours.”</p><p>She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him, and he poured every feeling of his overflowing heart into that kiss: bright, shining joy – pride that she would be his – an aching and overwhelming tenderness. He felt it again, more clearly than ever: that connection between them, blazing bright and golden and true. It was too much to contain, and he took her face between his hands and covered it with kisses until she laughed in delight – then her laugh turned into a sigh as he started kissing her throat. His hands were in her hair, on her back, pressing her close to him, and she tilted her head and sighed again as he pressed kiss after kiss to her silky skin. He couldn’t get enough of her – he would <em>never </em>be able to get enough of her – of kissing her, of holding her, of giving her pleasure in every possible way until she was trembling in his arms. He suddenly wanted her desperately, to feel that ultimate closeness to her, to consummate the promise they had just made to each other.</p><p>She clearly felt the same way, because she twined her fingers into his hair and tilted his head up so she could kiss him deeply, hungrily, a kiss that took his breath away. Her fingers were flying down the buttons of his shirt, and the next moment he shrugged out of it, her hands on his shoulders and chest making shivers run down his spine. He dipped down his head and found a hard nipple through the fabric of her bathing suit, and a moan escaped her lips as he pulled at it with his teeth. Then her mouth was hot on his again, until she pressed her hips against him and bit his bottom lip, and he pulled back with a gasp.</p><p>“Take it off”, he said urgently, and she obeyed him immediately, maneuvering out of her bathing suit to straddle him, naked in his arms. The moment it was off, he closed his warm mouth over a nipple and sucked hard, making her moan again, her hands in his hair keeping him there, there, right there. Meanwhile, his hands were roaming down her back, over her buttocks, caressing her hips and thighs until she was squirming with longing. Finally she couldn’t take it anymore – she reached down, unbuttoned his pants with nimble fingers, and he groaned softly as she drew him out.</p><p>“Oh”, he whispered, his breathing quickening as she ran her fingers up and down his length. “Oh, Raquel, I want you so badly.”</p><p>She nodded, lifted her hips, then bit her lip and looked straight into his eyes as she slowly sank down on him, making him shudder – she was so unbelievably sexy, she felt so good around him, and when she started riding him, he had to use every last ounce of restraint not to come immediately. He drew her head down and kissed her hard, then he slipped one hand between them, fingers searching for the right spot. She moaned against his lips when he found it, and he firmly kept himself in check, attuning himself to her pleasure while they rocked together. Soon, her every breath was a moan, then suddenly she tensed, looked into his eyes and whispered: “Yes!”</p><p>That was all he needed. They held each other tight as the wave rushed through them both, lifting them up together and sweeping them away.</p><p>Afterwards, he let himself fall back onto the sand, feeling dizzy with the sheer bliss of it, and she slipped off him to wrap the towel around herself, then she nestled herself against him, making soft sounds of utter contentment as he wrapped his arm around her waist.</p><p>“Oh”, she sighed happily. “<em>God </em>that was good. I’m still tingling.”</p><p>He smiled. “If this is what happens after proposing to you, I can’t wait for the wedding night.”</p><p>She laughed. “I can guarantee that, on our wedding night, you’re going to get <em>very </em>lucky.”</p><p>“I’m already lucky”, he said softly. “Luckiest man in the world, in fact.”</p><p>She smiled up at him. “I’m feeling pretty lucky myself at the moment.”</p><p>He lifted his head and pressed a kiss to her lips, and she stroked his cheek as she kissed him back.</p><p>“I wanted to ask you earlier”, he said when they broke apart. “On the cliff, at sunset. I’m sorry, you deserved a proper proposal.”</p><p>“No”, she whispered, giving him a soft look, luminous with happiness. “No, don’t apologize, this was perfect.”</p><p>He smiled and kissed her again, and she shifted closer. Lying close together, they were silent for a while, looking up at the stars. It really was the most perfect night.</p><p>…</p><p>He woke up in the first light of dawn and blinked a few times in confusion. Why were there palm leaves waving above him? Then he turned his head and saw Raquel, still sleeping peacefully on the sand beside him, and he realized they’d fallen asleep on the beach. A slow smile appeared on his face as the events of last night came back to him: he’d asked her – she’d said yes – soon she’d be his wife. He suddenly realized that one thing was missing. Careful not to wake her, he got up, walked into the house, and returned a few minutes later. He sat back down on the sand and looked at her as she slept. The soft morning light made everything seem a little unreal, like the world was emerging from the night only half-formed and malleable, like he could change anything he wanted if he just reached out and tried. He didn’t move. He didn’t want to change anything.</p><p>Life had taken him in such an unexpected direction, but as he gazed down at her sleeping face, it felt exactly right. He thought back to the first time he’d seen her, fresh out of handcuffs and yet with that fire in her eyes – he’d liked her immediately, but he hadn’t suspected for a moment what she’d become to him. He remembered those first weeks in Toledo, always seeking her out, drawn to her by a force as irresistible as gravity. He remembered the first days after they’d gotten together, how he’d felt as if he’d been handed something so precious and fragile, and he had no idea how to care for it. She’d shown him the way, she’d taken his hand and guided him through it all, and in the weeks that followed, they had gotten ever closer, and their bond had grown into something stronger than he’d ever experienced. The heist had tested them in every possible way, bringing up imperfections and insecurities, but in the end, it had only brought them closer together. They had been through fire, and they had come out stronger.</p><p>He still couldn’t quite fathom how much she’d changed his life, how much she’d changed <em>him. </em>She hadn’t just impacted the physical realities of life for him, but his fundamental state of being. For as long as he could remember, he’d always been assessing every possible outcome, calculating risks and probabilities, weighing his options. His life had been made up of escape routes and Plan B’s. Now, he was shedding that part of himself. With her, he needed no escape route. With her, he had no Plan B. There was no risk-assessment of this situation, because there were no different options. In the ever-shifting circumstances of existence, she was his one certainty – the certainty he would build his life on.</p><p>The still-hidden sun was tinging the sky a delicate pink, and the birds in the jungle behind them were singing their hearts out by the time she finally stirred awake. He smiled as she shifted, sat up, rubbed her face. When she turned towards him, he was holding the open ring box.</p><p>“Good morning”, he said. “Do you still want to marry me?”</p><p>Her eyes lit up and she smiled. “Good morning. Yes, I still want to marry you.”</p><p>“I forgot to give you this last night.”</p><p>She held out her left hand and he took out the ring and slid it onto the fourth finger, where a small vein ended that ran down into her hand and wrist, up through her elbow and shoulder, to pass right by the scar underneath her collarbone. It didn’t stop there, however – it continued on to her heart.</p><p>“Do you like it?” he asked tentatively as she examined the ring, and she looked up at him with shining eyes.</p><p>“I love it.”</p><p>She leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. “What a perfect way to start another day with you.”</p><p>“It’s still early. Do you want to go inside and sleep for another hour or two?”</p><p>“No”, she murmured. “No, let’s stay here and watch the sunrise.”</p><p>So they settled comfortably against a palm tree, his arm around her shoulders so she could lean against him, her arm around his waist. Once again, he was filled with that warm sense of <em>rightness </em>that had prompted him to propose last night, something that he’d only ever experienced with her. Then, suddenly, he recognized what it was… it felt like <em>home</em>. It was the most extraordinary feeling, and it filled him with wonder. Throughout his adult life, he’d lived in many cities, many apartments, always looking for a place where he’d feel at home and never finding it. Now he realized that ‘home’ would never be a place for him – it was a person. He’d found where he belonged: it was with her, and he felt with a great sense of certainty that, no matter where, no matter what the circumstances, as long as she was beside him, he would <em>always</em> be home.</p><p>He turned his head and kissed her hair, his throat tight.</p><p>“Raquel… I’m so lucky you found me.”</p><p>She looked up at him with soft eyes. “And I’m lucky you found <em>me.</em>”</p><p>He dipped his head and kissed her – his love, his partner, his heart.</p><p>“Sergio”, she whispered against his lips. “You make me so happy.”</p><p>He was happy too – happier than he could ever remember being, happier than he ever thought he could be. They sat together on the sand, and watched the sunrise.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you so much for reading! ❤❤ If you haven't left kudos yet, now would be a great time :) And please don't be shy -- tell me your thoughts in the comments! I would love to hear from you 😊</p></blockquote></div></div>
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